"Encryption" to "math" should be the next popular browser extension.
A lot of this necessarily happens in the dark, so we may not know for sure exactly what's happening until decades after the fact. You don't exactly want to advertise to the enemy that you can or cannot intercept their communications - that would tell them how to be more effective in attacking you.
Many national governments do indeed use strong encryption to protect their communications, and the outcome of many battles, and arguably of some entire wars, has hinged on the ability to crack that encryption, or lack thereof, and the ability to keep the fact that you have done so secret from the enemy.
> The idea of it certainly poses an interesting dilemma, especially if you are invested in being for strong encryption and against Government surveillance. How well will those idea hold up if it ever turns out that evil terrorist armies really are using strong encryption to carry out mass murder and acts of War in the West?
I would definitely still support encryption. People who are willing to break the law have many more possible avenues for private communication than people who are just trying to stay secure and protect themselves. Encryption is just one method of secure communication, it's just the only viable one that most people can use. And we know that some terrorists didn't use encryption (see: Paris and the terrorists communicating using the PS4 network), and the government still didn't (with all of their bullshit about needing even more surveillance) stop the attacks from happening. Not to mention that, in the past, governments didn't have such impunity to collect all information. Why are such abilities necessary now?
Basically, anti-encryption is complete FUD. It only hurts people who are just trying to protect themselves.
I suggest listening to Jacob Appelbaum's explanation of this point (and related topics).
The idea of it certainly poses an interesting dilemma, especially if you are invested in being for strong encryption and against Government surveillance. How well will those idea hold up if it ever turns out that evil terrorist armies really are using strong encryption to carry out mass murder and acts of War in the West?