I also found it depressing to read the following language in the <a href=https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1006318/2014sigint-mem-ppd-rel.pdf>Presidential Policy Directive</a> linked from the article: 
<blockquote>In addition, our signals intelligence activities must take into account that all persons <b>should be</b> treated with dignity and respect, <b>regardless of their nationality or wherever they might reside</b>, and that all persons have legitimate privacy interests in the handling of their personal information.</blockquote>
Well, they should, shouldn't they...except they're not, because 'Merica, fuck yeah.