Privacy in the 21st Century

Many Americans, especially the younger generations, treat their smartphones as something as necessary as an older generation might have felt about cars.  There are plenty of teens and twenty somethings who don't have driver's licenses, but very few not connected to society with a phone.  After all, with a phone, you can Uber a ride virtually anywhere, order a pizza, connect with "followers", run a business or even call Mom.  That's why the introduction of legislation in Congress to compel phone manufacturers to hack their products if enjoined by law enforcement is a hot button topic.  When so much of our private lives are potentially available for scrutiny in the name of national security, the tired arguments about terrorists don't necessarily ring true.   Despite the well known proclivity of our children to share their innermost thoughts and feelings on Facebook or Twitter, even they realize the danger of government access to their phones.  Police states since the dawn of civilization have been looking for the tool to control the masses.  Complete access to smartphones is the holy grail of 21st century authoritarians.  It will start in the name of combatting terrorism, but where will it end.