Today, every Internet user has access to encryption. Many Net transactions are encoded automatically without us being aware of it happening.
There is an ongoing war being fought in cyberspace - between those who want to see all Net traffic transparent to law enforcement and other agencies of the state - and those who believe that absolute privacy and security are not only fundamental rights but also commercially vital to the future development of the Internet.
For years, the U.S. government did not allow American companies to use 128-bit encryption systems internationally for fear these systems would fall into the hands of enemies of the state.
That battle has been lost - but the end of the Cold War has released the national security establishments in the USA and Britain to turn their attentions to the Internet in the battle against drugs smugglers and terrorists.
Only the Western democracies have the privilege of uncensored access to the Internet. In some countries, it is illegal to own a modem - let alone use it.
See also Philip Zimmerman.
