Until the current administration, I was much more bothered by private misuse/abuse of date than the government. Now I worry about both.

Good. Being OK with authoritarianism because they are on your side is never good.

That was always the wrong threat model hierarchy. I have always been more concerned what the federal, my state and my local government can do when given more power/informstion than the federal government

Why? People who volunteer to work for these government drag nets must be total psychos.