Physically, a panopticon is a structure from which prison guards can monitor all prison activities as an all-seeing-eye.  In the figurative and psychological sense a panopticon is  self-imposed censorship and behavior modification based on the fear that one is being watched and that your neighbors are watching you.  This system is time-tested.  In recent memory, it was used successfully in the Soviet Union — particularly by the East German Stasi during the Cold War.

Take Michael Rivero’s NSA challenges.  Had llllllll been an employee of the NSA, there would have been a resounding, “Challenge accepted!” but there has been eerie silence.  Also (vacant), with the exception of chirping crickets and pin-drops are:

You may be thinking that the NSA has been on the ball with all of the chatter.  Let’s look at what the agency has been monitoring:

Yes, Big Brother is watching . . . but not as closely as you may think.