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I think it's better to avoid encryption unless it's for really sensitive information or knowledge that could hurt you if broadcast. Using Tor or Truecrypt essentially paints a target on your back: you are paradoxically more likely to be under surveillance by agencies if you use them, even if you aren't concealing anything illegal or reprehensible.

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"Using Tor or Truecrypt essentially paints a target on your back: you are paradoxically more likely to be under surveillance by agencies if you use them..."

"Paradoxically" you say. I don't think there's a paradox here. I think it's far too rare that people use these tools to protect themselves, and therefore the surveillance community sees it as a potential flag worth investigating.

Therefore, we should all use these tools, make them common place, and force them to learn to be efficient at their jobs tracking down actual risks.

Better yet to get everybody to use encryption, always.

I agree wholeheartedly, but that's like saying we should make everyone use condoms all the time to eliminate AIDS. A perfect solution that is unfortunately unfeasible.

But in this case a smaller group of humans controls the implementation of software, so it's at least a little more feasible.

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