Ask your friend how that's any better or safer than what the East German Republic did to its people under the Stasi. If he tries to dodge then I'm gonna say he's not much of a friend. When it comes to protecting the rights of others which includes their privacy I would probably have cut that person off day one. I'm a bit of an extremist to be sure, but some things are more precious than a friend and freedom, IMO, is one of them.