Topic: Counterterrorism

Intelligence agencies often misconstrue harmless online activities, such as researching terrorism for educational purposes or using slang, as genuine threats. A British traveler was famously detained by the Department of Homeland Security in Los Angeles after using London slang about "destroying" America in a tweet. These agencies focus on prosecutions rather than clearing names, leading to innocent people being caught in surveillance nets.

The FBI receives approximately $3 billion annually for counterterrorism, which is significantly more than the funding allocated for organized crime or financial fraud. This budget creates a bureaucratic necessity to produce "terrorists" to justify continued funding to Congress. With a near-perfect conviction record and the failure of entrapment defenses in court, the FBI has little incentive to alter its practice of manufacturing cases through mandatory minimum sentencing and guilty pleas.