<blockquote>The national-security state tends to love monopolies—a coöperative monopoly augments and extends the power of the state, like a technological prosthesis. (Germany offers even more extreme examples of this than America does.) In general, when a dominant firm, or a few firms, holds power over part of the information industry, we can expect intelligence agencies to demand coöperation and partnership. Over time, the firm can become a well-compensated executioner of state will. If history is any guide, the longer that companies like Facebook and Google stay dominant, the more likely it becomes that they will serve as intelligence partners to the United States and other governments.</blockquote>
via <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/06/why-monopolies-make-spying-easier.html">Why Monopolies Make Government Spying Easier : The New Yorker</a>.