Think of Ham like Usenet or posting to a forum. You are in the public square talking for all to hear.

If you want something more akin to private email, that is possible you just need a difference license. https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-divis...

I have frequency allocations (well technically a radio shop manages them for us) and use AES128 encryption with no issues.

So by this license only businesses are allowed to have private communications, not individuals?

Hypothetically you could get a license just for yourself, but only you'd be able to use it which might get kinda lonely. Using a LLC is much more practical as the entity can own the radios and assign them to authorized users acting on behalf of the company.

Forming a corporate entity and paying the frequency coordination fees are going to be minimal in comparison to the hardware costs to communicate at a distance (encrypted or clear) reliably.

Businesses are the only legal way to “group” people together and hold them accountable. Since you are purchasing a license for some spectrum, they need a way to hold that group accountable. A common business arrangement is to create a “co-op” to work together, usually owned equally by the members. For example, there are a couple of developer co-ops around here to get discounts on IDEs and resources by appearing as a large org. Almost like what you’d expect from a union, but most clearly not a union.

> So by this license only businesses are allowed to have private communications, not individuals?

The first words on that pages are "Individuals or entities desiring to […]".

You, as an individual, can get a license. It's probably just more common for legal persons [1] to go through the effort rather than natural persons [2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_person

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_person

That is something, I suppose, though every person I want to communicate with would need one which is a real pain.

Still, will explore this.

If anyone has any tips for encrypted voice comms using this path I would welcome it

Have you looked into laser?

> Privacy is a human right, and that applies over radio.

You do not have a right to use common space (e.g., radio spectrum) without regard to the rest of society. If are given permission to use a common space, you have to use it with the stated conditions.

Isn't that why you would use a letter and post system?