Philip Zimmermann and PGP: Privacy Is Not a Crime
PGP Pretty Good Privacy — The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age “If privacy is outlawed, only outlaws will have privacy.” — PHILIP R. ZIMMERMANN TABLE OF CONTENTS Philip Zimmermann: The Man Who Built PGP What Is PGP? What Does PGP Do? In Which Fields Is It Used? How to Use It on Different Devices Conclusion: When Code Becomes a Manifesto INTRODUCTION The Problem of Privacy in the Digital Age The form that communication has taken in the digital age has fundamentally transformed the meaning of privacy. Words once whispered behind a barn have become electrical signals passing through millions of servers. The physical confidentiality provided by a postal envelope has been rendered ineffective in the face of the transparent nature of electronic communication. This transformation is not merely a technological shift it is a profound matter of freedom. Historically, cryptography remained a tool used primarily by states to protect their diplomatic and military communications. Howe...