Who Watches The Watchmen - We Do! (well...in Sweden anyway)

A very interesting post on Slashdot today. When I reported the news of the massive spying network found in China someone commented that it was detection technology that enables it to be uncovered. In Sweden apparently a website has been launched which enables the user to know if their IP address is under investigation for violation of intellectual property rights.

It's a cliche at the moment that parents will never be able to control their children's internet activity because each generation will have a better grasp of the technology than the previous one. The thought occurred to me that the same thing might occur at a macro level - that the excesses of government surveillance will always be kept in check by a citizenry that can draw on the skills of its most advanced users. This vision would surely appeal to libertarians (and beyond) all over the world.

However the thought is ultimately Utopian - the crucial difference is one of law. In Sweden, it seems, requests to view sensitive viewing information held by ISPs must go through the public court system. I don't actually know how far the limitations on covert surveillance actually go in Sweden - presumably if you're a spook chasing a suspected terrorist you don't have to do so publicly?

Any thoughts?