> The point of laws is not to make things harder for the police

The Facebook info presented in this article was lawfully obtained through a subpoena, so I'm not sure what you're talking about.

> it is to protect all of us from the government.

Laws also exist to protect us from each other. When a crime is alleged, justice is best served (for both the accuser and the defendant) by having as much evidence as possible. But there also need to be checks on this, which is why we have the Bill of Rights and evidence rules in court.

Yes it's sarcasm, but I don't think the law enforcement agencies see it like that. They actually want that, and they've said before that having to get a warrant makes it "hard" for them - even though 90% of the warrants they ask for are approved.

Lately all of them are pushing for more invasion of privacy, because they don't see it like that. They see it as "making our job easier" - without any regard for the abuses that could lead to or for history of Government oppression, or if the people actually want that. After all, surely they know "best" what needs to be done to protect the population.

Maybe some do, but some privacy advocates think it would be best if individuals could always prevent law enforcement from obtaining any evidence. Don't make arguments that are just as absurd as the extremists on the other side.