Death and destruction are absolutely terrible. They are not the only way to reshape or destroy a society. Like the parent comment said, the tools of mass manipulation that can be created with the data and platforms available today can have just as broad of an effect over time, if not moreso because it's invisible.

How would you convince someone of that?

Targeted ads/messages beyond very broad categories such as "business owner" or "looking for a vacation" should be made illegal. This time the law needs to safe us from technology.

If that's really your marker, nothing but another war or the other horsemen will meet it. We can probably repeal all the laws on the books without hitting it.

The issue is not seeing something someone else may not - that's but a symptom that allows the burying of much illegal and discriminatory activity. There's been plenty of examples of both in recent years - Cambridge Analytica is just one.

You may have a look at all the most common fears and find how many of them could be connected to privacy at all, in any meaningful way. From irrational (clowns) to semi-rational (immigrants and robots) and rational (shootings) ones.

> id say something like ww2 is “extremely bad”

WW2 was a result of a far right government and its rapid rise to power, mainly as a result of propaganda and misinformation. So...

National Socialism is 'right' now? From what I can tell, despotic dictators will fly any flag if it give them power. Painting this as a partisian issue, while comparing the modern right with 'literal hitler' is just holding back rational discussion.