Governments have made it easier for authorities to plumb databases and eavesdrop on telephone and online conversations, a survey of privacy regulations released this week found. The report, from the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Privacy International, shows that many countries besides the United States have adopted laws that value increased security over personal privacy.
"It's a general theme toward total identification," said Sarah Andrews, an author of the report. "When you're outside in public or when you're online, you can be identified."
That dismays privacy groups, who worry about free-speech restrictions and abuses of power. They oppose laws that loosen privacy protections, such as the ones adopted in the United States after last year's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
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