I'd really like to reply to the points raised by this thread but I'm concerned that my opinions might appear " political " , and cause yet one more valid , intelligent and worthwhile thread to be locked. Some may argue that there is a fine line between what is security related and what is political comment. I take a very different view . I contend that there is a huge , wide , " grey " and diffuse area between the two . How can there be free and intelligent discussion on these issues if there are opaque , undefined criteria used to decide what is acceptable comment , and what is "too political" ? Try doing a quick forum search on Snowden , Five Eyes , or TLAs ..... there's a whole heap of stuff , so how can their massive impact on our privacy and security be discussed here WITHOUT some sort of political aspect creeping in ? I recognize and respect the need for good moderation on a forum , but there is a real risk here of " throwing out the baby with the bath-water " . Anybody else like to comment on this issue , or would that also be "too political" ? I'm certainly not looking to start an argument here , but a little guidance on this obviously very sensitive area would be very much appreciated !