zener_diode

joined 2 months ago
[–] zener_diode@feddit.org 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

amateur radio was illegal to encrypt

Amateur radio is still illegal to encrypt (with some exceptions for controlling satelites), because private communication isn't the point of amateur radio.

Besides, (in most countries) there are some topics that are illegal to talk over amateur radio about, mainly stuff like politics and religion. You're also not allowed to offer telecommunication services (i.e. pass messages on for others). Enforcing those sorts of laws would be impossible with encryption.

But to answer your question: I think we probably wouldn't have had an internet. Authoritarian regimes thrive on stability and maintaining the status quo, I think someone high up would have quickly decided that developing that sort of tech is too risky.