> <i>However, putting the legality issues aside, we should be concerned the government is engaged in the wholesale monitoring of our social-media streams. This program is akin to the Chinese government's monitoring of the Internet. Our government must not emulate an authoritarian regime.</i><p>The author appears to have not heard about ECHELON.<p>(<a href="http://cryptome.org/echelon-ep.htm" rel="nofollow">http://cryptome.org/echelon-ep.htm</a>)