Assuming one isn't targeted then leads to years of pursuing various things that don't necessarily help.

[Targeting involves being personally studied for disruption activities such as planting of spy devices and system trojans, contacting people and services in one's life to reduce the power of one's community.]. This involves investment of resources by bodies with limited resources, so people can be skeptical it would ever happen.

One thing not often discussed is that targetting can involve being framed as a suspect for high-stakes crimes such as drug dealing or terrorism.  Simply calling authorities can open an investigation and allocate extensive resources.  There are also organizations that work to disrupt people or groups of various pursuasions, that individuals may be listed with.  Books have been published by workers and volunteers at such organizations or groups.

This stuff usually happens when somebody notices you for some reason.  It may be easy if you have a well-known family name, or are a political figure, but other roles aren't ones everyone expects:

- providing resources for activists or people otherwise without them

- making a stink that could harm somebody's reputation

- organizing discussions counter to mainstream messaging, especially in an area where they are not already present

Simple being the person footing the bill, or owning the resources, or who has the crucial skillset, or is willing to go the distance, when nobody else isn't, can suddenly change one's life forever when noticed.

Change it in ways that nobody would believe, because the resources involved are reserved for hunting the most dangerous criminals and fighting the most vicious mercenaries.  Things that suddenly people are considering you, because their bosses or computer systems are saying you are likely to be.