Sweden has passed security legislation to allow for surveillance of email and telephone communication:

“…The law, narrowly passed by legislators two weeks ago, will let officials eavesdrop on all cross-border e-mail and telephone traffic, in what technology companies have called the most far-reaching communications monitoring plan in Europe. Sweden’s government plans to implement it in January.”

link: Swedes protest sweeping e-mail eavesdropping law

In the name of security, everyone is suspect and will be treated as such. The legislation effectively by-passes any oversight by a court of law. The surveillance and information gathering will become the national standard. Privacy will be a historical artifact.

Some have suggested that a way to maintain some semblance of privacy is to use encryption. However, by using encrypted email, doesn’t that automatically arouse suspicion and invite even greater surveillance? By using encryption, when the government wants to monitor all citizens’ communication, doesn’t that clearly demonstrate that there is something to hide?

Catherine Forsythe