Encryption Endangered?

With increasing paranoia on behalf of governments and decreasing rights and protections for citizens, freedoms and personal liberties are finding themselves in ever growing peril. Fearing new and more treacherous levels of spying on behalf of their governments, even less tech-savvy netizens have taken to countermeasures once thought to be the realm of hackers and classified organizations.

Thanks to six year old legislation in Britain called RIPA (Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act), the walls of protection for citizens are steadily eroding. Of particular interest is Part III of RIPA, which allows police under 'certain specific circumstances' to force a suspect to provide their encryption keys and remit any data of interest to investigators.

Generally speaking, this could be useful legislation, particularly as regards terrorist cells and pedophiles. I have no issue with laws that provide for proper investigative powers in the apprehension of dangerous people. The issue is with the poor creation of legislation that allows loopholes for snooping agencies within the government, and provides citizens with no recourse to protect their rights.