We need an NRA for privacy

A software company shuts its secure email service pre-emptively so that they wouldn't be forced to comply with government orders to ... what? insert back doors? hand over encryption keys?

What country did this happen in? Soviet Russia? Cuba? Iran?

No the United States of America. Truly chilling.

I'm talking about Silent Circle. see:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6183059

and

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6183352

If this had been about a gun-making/selling company shutting down its operation because they were afraid the government come to them and force them to violate the privacy of their customers, or for example insert, surreptitiously, some sort of tracking device into the guns themselves, the country (and the mainstream media, by the way) would be UP IN ARMS.

What we need is a "National Privacy Association" like the "National Rifle Association". Celebrity spokespeople, tons of money, lobbying congress, etc.

^^

I think the issue of privacy is being intentionally and collusively kept a series of domestic affairs by national state agencies.

We need a global charter for privacy rights.

ABSOLUTELY. Everyone who cares about privacy should support the EFF. I 100% agree.

However.

I would argue that with all due respect to the EFF, they have not achieved the desired result (yet). Arguably this is because it has remained what mainstream american would call a fringe interest group.

I find it hard to believe that the general public, if in fact educated (albeit briefly, but effectively) about the issue of what's happened to personal privacy in the USA over the past 15 years, would care less about it than say the right to buy a military assault rifle at a private gun show.

We need an aggressive EFF. It starts with money. We need an EFF that way more aggressively pursues big big money and big big names, names that joe the plumber and soccer mom sally would "respect" (I'm talking about movie stars and celebrities, people).

The NRA has (had actually) Charleton Heston.

Why doesn't the EFF have ... Oprah? or Ashton Kutcher? or Will Smith? or Tom Cruise?? (oh never mind that one, actually)... or Katy Perry? you get the idea

The EFF has Bruce Schneier...