My youth group leader, when I was in high school, told us a bit about this. His dad was in the Air Force, I think he worked there at Roswell at some point. Anyways, I don’t remember details, but he said this “story” about Roswell, wasn’t a story...it was true. What most stands out was his fear to say anything more, because, IIRC, of government capabilities to pick up conversations.....that was very creepy to me, as a teenager to think about, too.
No doubt.
The government has had the capacity to filter electronic communications and even snail mail for quite a number of decades. At least 3 decades that I can be fairly certain of.
And the parabolic microphones have been around a long time.
And who knows when the black ops folks had lasers-on-windows-capacities to pick up convrsations in distant rooms.
Then there’s the telephones being able to be turned into a microphone even when on the hook. And that was with the old rotary dial versions. Some insisted it was only on phones secretly modified to afford that capacity. But I’m not so sure. I hope that was true.
I doubt it’s true now. Certainly all cell phone traffic is vulnerable as well as all regular phone service.
Court warrants are and have been a non-issue for at least 30 years . . . a non issue because every phone line was accessible regardless.