A couple have spoken of their shock after their local council spied on them to see if they had been cheating the school catchment system.
Tim Joyce and Jenny Paton and their children were put under surveillance by Poole Borough Council for more than two weeks without their knowledge.
Miss Paton said this kind of scrutiny was "hugely disproportionate".
The council has defended its actions, carried out under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).
The recent spate of reports on bugging and intercepting communications has revealed how little people really know about the level of surveillance they are under.
Council surveillance review urged
Councils in England have been urged to review the way they use surveillance powers to investigate suspected crime.
Under laws brought in to help fight terrorism, councils can access phone and e-mail records and use surveillance to detect or stop a criminal offence.
But Local Government Association chairman Sir Simon Milton has written to councils warning overzealous use of the powers could alienate the public.
They should not be used for "trivial offences" such as dog fouling, he adds.
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