Freedom has always been at risk. Now, with technological development, it's even more evident. The problem is that many agree to trade freedom for comfort. So dystopian societies like 1984 or Brave New World aren't far from becoming reality; if not, with some nuances, they aren't already.
All societies face the fundamental challenge of balancing individual freedoms with the collective good. Ethics almost never wins the battle against concentrated power.
The violation of rights under the justification of preventing terrorism and organized crime, or in the name of national security, is increasingly common. And while it's true that "bad guys" take advantage of the rule of law in free and democratic societies, it's clear that criminals aren't the only ones who can screw up our lives. One politician who proposes laws that limit our privacy in the name of well-being can cause more harm than a thousand criminals.
In Ma Boyong's short story The City of Silence, there's a phrase that sums it all up:
"...Technology is neutral, but its progress makes a free world freer or a totalitarian world even more repressive."
