I remember, as a young italian studying about risorgimento, asking my mother why did the people in venice and milan not want to be under the austrian empire.

My mum told me "it was an oppressive government". When I asked to elaborate she said "they used to read people's mails so that they knew whom to arrest."

In italy you can end up in jail if you open mails… and yet somehow we are completely ok with the government reading every electronic communication?