Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT) has become a powerful tool for governments, businesses, and organizations to gather insights from the endless stream of online data. While this practice can support public safety, crisis response, and even healthcare research, it also raises pressing concerns about privacy, trust, and surveillance. Studies show that awareness of monitoring often alters behavior—leading to self-censorship, anxiety, and reduced trust in institutions. Recent controversies, from Instagram’s real-time location tracking feature to proposed U.S. military monitoring of cadets, highlight the tension between security objectives and individual freedoms. Ultimately, SOCMINT’s impact extends far beyond data collection—it shapes how people perceive safety, community, and the organizations that hold power in their lives.