To the author of the article I say, "can't we have better legislation /and/ tech hacks?"

I don't think anyone would disagree with the idea that we can't solve the surveillance problems just through technology alone (apart from maybe some of the more naive HN members). But since we are partly in this mess because of technology, I don't think it's too radical to suggest that we can in part help get ourselves out of it using technology as well. To suggest that the tech community are a bunch of introverts, unconcerned with "the plight of the majority" sounds kinda dull to me, and certainly unoriginal.