>By manufacturing pretexts (“security threat,” “public interest,” “extremist content”), retroactively criminalizing behavior, and co‑opting legal and media mechanisms, a government can transform an outright illegal blackmail campaign into a quasi‑legitimate operation. The initial coercion thus becomes a catalyst for broader, institutionally sanctioned encroachments on civil liberties.
I've actually seen this story before, the Canadian government did it just last year against Laureen Southern. I think they were using the Australians at some point if memory serves