I generally agree and I think the pseudonomous nature of block-chains can help with this kind of issue. If we take smart meters as an example, over at SolarCoin we have created solar PV generation logging into the block-chain, of course there is no privacy in the chain and the data logged is open and free for everyone to see. Critically though, there is nothing personally identifiable about the data and so long as you dont re-use addresses.

So I kind of think the real problem with these systems surveilling us, is that the data becomes owned and we lose control over it, and that we often are unaware its being gathered at all.