With the latest revelations about surveillance by the NSA  the past couple of weeks have seen an explosion in the conversation over what exactly happens to our online data, and just how accessible our personal internet communications are by government bodies. Indeed, thanks to the recent leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, we now have further insight into just how closely connected government surveillance programs and the corporations we rely on daily such as Facebook, and Google have become.

These latest leaks also happen to coincide with the release of a gripping new documentary by filmmaker Cullen Hoback called  ‘Terms And Conditions May Apply’. The film sheds light on just how much information is held about ordinary citizens by corporations and government, and how that data is being used in some disquieting ways.

But the film also takes a step back to raise the question, how did we get to this point?  How did we so quickly end up in a world where the majority of our day-to-day communications are legally accessible by the government – even without being suspected of a particular crime –  and what could this mean not only for our privacy, but for the very ability for citizens to dissent? 

It’s both a timely and riveting doc and despite dealing with serious issues, it manages to be a really fun film to watch. Terms And Conditions had it’s Canadian premiere at Hot Docs in May, and I took the chance to sit down with director Cullen Hoback. But be warned, it may just leave you shocked at what we agreed to in the fine print!

The film is opening up in several U.S. markets in July including New York and Los Angeles, and for more announcements on upcoming screenings head over to http://tacma.net/

Listen to the full interview here!