If I want to have a private conversation where the details of what are said are undiscoverable, I believe that's a right that people should have in a "free country", including over the internet, over phone, and so on. The fact is, I can, using some combination of math and secrets, accomplish this.
I don't think anyone on earth has the right to collect/record/see the contents of my communications other than me and the other participants, until there's reasonable suspicion of a crime.
Covert dragnet snooping is an evil means to any end, and it damages the moral standing of the society that does it.
The trick here is that the authorities will (somewhat reasonably) advertise their need for these tools under the "reasonable suspicion" label: they want the backdoor or whatever it is they need to conduct their surveillance once they do have reasonable suspicion.
I don't think anyone on earth has the right to collect/record/see the contents of my communications other than me and the other participants, until there's reasonable suspicion of a crime.
Covert dragnet snooping is an evil means to any end, and it damages the moral standing of the society that does it.