[microtonal]

That tends to confirm my feeling that people in countries that have not suffered from tyrannical government for a long time have forgotten the value of privacy and freedom of speech

I think it is more complex than that, see Hungary and Poland (though Poland is a bit on the rebound).

[graemep]

Yes, undoubtedly more complex than that, but I think it is an important factor - people do not value what they have taken for granted.