[lsh]

Thank you.

I suspect it's probably because the exceptions to the rule bump privacy violations to the top of the news by a very vocal and outraged minority. But if you consider the magnitude of personal data the police must have access to on a daily basis that is kept secure and confidential and eventually destroyed compared to the occasional news story we hear about, they're doing a much better job than we give them credit for.

Also - as IT people, I bet the majority of us have access to a huge amount of personal data on a daily basis as well. I would absolutely say the majority of us treat this data with respect and circumspection and that only a tiny few don't.

Please don't mistake me for a police apologist, I'm well aware of their capabilities and actions, especially border police, but the polarising us vs them culture separates us and makes us disempowered victims. If you genuinely, honestly care about data privacy and the privacy of those you communicate with, use encryption.