The honest answer is - I don't know. But what I would like to happen is for my friends and colleagues to say "This sort of thing is unacceptable in a democratic

The honest answer is - I don't know. But what I would like to happen is for my friends and colleagues to say "This sort of thing is unacceptable in a democratic society and it makes me upset" and not "meh what are you going to do". Going further you could support foundations fighting for our privacy rights, they have much better experience and are better connected to lobby on our behalf. I agree that merely voting for major parties is not enough - but there are organisations within this country that bring these issues up to the attention of the parliment, lords and various commissions and regulatory bodies.