Bruce Schneier warns of AI-powered bulk spying by governments
Security technologist Bruce Schneier said governments are likely conducting “bulk spying” using artificial intelligence, citing advances that can convert voice to text and automatically summarize content. He said he is confident the United States, China, Russia and other countries are employing such capabilities.
Public scrutiny of U.S. surveillance intensified in June 2013, when disclosures by Edward Snowden detailed PRISM, a National Security Agency program, operated with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, that enabled collection of large volumes of data from major technology firms including Google, Facebook and Microsoft. The revelations contradicted earlier assurances that the NSA did not collect data directly from tech companies and indicated that the program was part of broader mass surveillance activities.
Following the disclosures, lawmakers passed the USA FREEDOM Act in 2015, digital privacy advocacy groups expanded their efforts, and U.S. courts later determined that the NSA’s phone records program was unlawful.
Post-Snowden data growth and AI-enabled analysis
Schneier, a New York Times bestselling author and fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, said large-scale surveillance has persisted, and the scope of data now available far exceeds the period before 2013. He noted that current datasets are not only larger but also more detailed.
In December 2025, investigative journalists at Le Monde reported using mobile advertising data purchased from a major broker to track spies, special forces personnel, and individuals close to the French president. The reporting showed the ability to follow a police officer’s movements to locations such as a sporting goods retailer, a recycling facility, a gas station, and a private residence.
According to Schneier, the combination of modern data volume and granularity has enabled surveillance at unprecedented levels, with data-driven business models underpinning this environment. He warned that AI systems capable of transcribing and summarizing communications introduce a new phase of “bulk spying,” allowing authorities to process vast amounts of content at scale.
Schneier also expressed concern that AI companies could become focal points for government data access, similar to how dominant social media platforms were leveraged in prior years.
He added that public attitudes toward privacy appear to be shifting, with increased calls for action after years of incremental encroachments. In comments to The Register, Schneier said he does not expect current levels of corporate or government mass surveillance to persist over the next 50 years and suggested such practices may ultimately be viewed as relics of a less ethical period.
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