We already know they do that. If they can't directly for any legal reason that they don't want to admit violating, they'll just have one of our allies do it for them via their foreign intelligence sevices. Snowden gave us the proof of that a decade ago.

Neither private companies nor the government should be collecting data from/about citizens without probable cause and due process.

That could all be codified into the regulations that classify internet as a public infrastructure service.

How is this different than another time?

You do realize they have a law that requires the phone companies to run a phone line no matter where you build in the USA right? Requiring the ISPs to uphold stipulations like this is a good thing.

Also, NSA..