>The State has always been able to look up phone records, bank records, land records, criminal records, medical records etc etc as in order to pursue justice and prosecute.
>How is this any different?
The cost of doing those lookups. Both in money and time.
Looking up an entire life's history would have taken months if not more, and would involve a lot of legwork, from picking up the phone and making calls, to traveling around neighborhoods or farther. That cost limited the charging/prosecution only to people suspected of, or implicated in crimes.
Today you can do that on a whim because you don't like a person or because they are your political/business opponents.
>How is this any different?
The cost of doing those lookups. Both in money and time. Looking up an entire life's history would have taken months if not more, and would involve a lot of legwork, from picking up the phone and making calls, to traveling around neighborhoods or farther. That cost limited the charging/prosecution only to people suspected of, or implicated in crimes. Today you can do that on a whim because you don't like a person or because they are your political/business opponents.