When some time ago Prince Charles’s and Lady D’s private phone calls were leaked to the public, everyone realized that in the era of informatics even the walls have ears. Apparently, their “safe” mobiles could not keep their secrets safe. Someone heard, recorded, and made a popular reader’s item of them in London’s tabloids…

Historic experience has proved that the biggest…ears are in the possession of governmental services be them either the CIA, or in the case of the heirs to the British Throne the M16. As revealed a while later, it was some British Intelligence agents who leaked a big part of those telephone conversations to the press with the purpose of benefiting from them. What was thought to be a telephone call surveillance due to reasons of “national interest”, ended up to a few millions of pounds being pocketed by some people.

The biggest eavesdroppers in history have now started being overwhelmed with uneasiness. The cause to their headache has its roots to modern technology and cryptography is the name of their nightmare. An incredible dispute has set off in the USA between the government that insists on maintaining its right to surveillance and the citizens who, from their part, are striving to protect their privacy. The focal point of this dispute that has been brought to law-courts, has been centered in a computer program called “Pretty Good Privacy”, along with Phil Zimmerman its 41 year-old-programmer.