We're a top surveillance society?

"Home of the free"? Try "A little freer than Singapore".

I don't see any evidence on the news or in my daily interactions that most U.S. residents realize that ours is one of the top surveillance states in the developed world. I didn't know it myself until I stumbled upon  a 2006 Privacy International report christening us an "Extensive Surveillance Society", a distinction we share with Thailand and the Philippines.  We're just behind China, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia and the U.K., all of which are "Endemic Surveillance Societies."

Don't you think if more us knew we were living in such a relatively restrictive society, we would be demanding our privacy back? The French are freer than we are, for goodness sake!  Shouldn't the Freedom Fries demographic be up in arms?

~~ Privacy International