[thecrash]

As you point out, decades ago privacy was a widespread social value among everyone who used the internet. Security through cryptography was also a widespread technical value among everyone (well at least some people) who designed software for the internet.

Over time, because security and cryptography were beneficial to business and government, cryptography got steadily increasing technical investment and attention.

On the other hand, since privacy as a social value does not serve business or government needs, it has been steadily de-emphasized and undermined.

Technical people have coped with the progressive erosion of privacy by pointing to cryptography as a way for individuals to uphold their privacy even in the absence of state-protected rights or a civil society which cares. This is the tradeoff being described.