And thankfully there's lots of hope in that (semi-old) David Brin essay. Technology is a multi-faceted dice and although the government is very powerful and lobbyist manage to get ever more restrictive laws passed each day, they simply cannot stop technological progress.

"Police and thieves in the streets, scaring the nation with their guns and ammunitions" are getting filmed, photographed and arrested thanks to technology (even if the government desperately tries to ban that).

There's hope and David Brin saw it a long time ago.