It's different yes, but let's not pretend like this is a conversation around an "open-society" vs a "closed" one. They are not the same, but there is overlap. For example, the employment of academics in the US being in jeopardy if they choose to criticize Israel.

They are completely different.

"the employment of academics in the US being in jeopardy if they choose to criticize Israel."

This has nothing to do with state powers monitoring arbitrary communications.

This has to do with specific enterprises practices of hiring discrimination - which is a complex, but totally separate problem.

> I don't see any future where your gmails or SMSs are going to be sold to arbitrary 3rd parties so your 'future employers' can read them.

Doesn't Google read gmails? Doesn't Google have agreements with 3rd parties related to using information from those gmails? Is it hard to imagine that, as with Facebook, Google making that information directly available?

Yes, it is hard to imagine, because it would be a direct violation of their privacy policy and they would be sued into oblivion.

What FB et. al. do with your content is right in the fine print.