For most of this century the modern functioning of civilisation has, of necessity, eroded the privacy rights of ordinary citizens as government and private industry have built databases and technological systems of awesome power. Through the use of these systems, the weakest members of society have been better protected and served. Modern computer systems and telecommunications networks threaten to unbalance the equilibrium between society and the privacy rights of citizens. Their uncontrolled deployment would lead rapidly through 'Nanny State' to a totalitarian society where 'the right to be let alone' is lost. But a rebalancing is possible through the sensible general deployment of encryption to protect the privacy of citizens.
Privacy is a legal right in most countries, but it is a right that requires technological support.
A public agency, for instance, does not rely on law to keep visitors out during off-hours, but places a lock on the door. In the growing world of electronic transactions, encryption plays the role of the lock. Its availability is critical for ensuring the right to privacy in a digital age. Privacy can also be misused. Effective limits have been placed upon privacy by most governments in order to permit bugging, wiretapping, the interception of mail, and other methods of investigating crimes.