Countries are competing to see which can carry out mass surveillance the best

• Mullvad is a Swedish VPN provider that strongly emphasizes privacy and anonymity, funded by subscription fees rather than data monetization. • "Mass surveillance" refers to the bulk collection of communications data (metadata, browsing habits, location) by governments, often without individual suspicion — distinguished from targeted surveillance. • Many Western democracies (US, UK, Australia, EU member states) have expanded mass surveillance powers since 9/11, including laws that compel tech companies to build backdoors or hand over data. • 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, 14 Eyes are intelligence-sharing alliances where member states agree to share intercepted data, effectively bypassing national privacy protections. • The article argues that governments compete to surveil more aggressively, creating a "race to the bottom" in privacy rights.