> My point is, this is some small potatoes 1980's style shit that is nothing compared to NSA Echelon

Absolutely. The "creep" factor of this however is more tangible to the general public so I imagine they will come under significantly more (relative to population size) pressure to answer for this.

Microphones hidden under rocks are much easier to understand and perceive as an intrusion and threat, compared to the nature of Echelon