Of course the NSA can read your stuff. The question is, will NSA be able to read your stuff &#x2F;without you being specifically targeted&#x2F;. There is a MASSIVE difference between getting caught in the global dragnet and being specifically targeted with nation-state malware and hardware hacks.<p>Don&#x27;t expect that just because you are using PGP for email or OTR that NSA can&#x27;t read your shit if they put their mind to it - but it&#x27;s extremely unlikely that they will, and nothing would protect against it. It&#x27;s a noble cause to use encryption, to stop yourself from intentionally giving data to anyone with a promiscuous WiFi card and broadcasting &quot;please steal this&quot; to anyone that can. You are choosing to give the NSA all your data.<p>Using an encrypted alternative to Skype also prevents Microsoft from Big Brother-ing you, too. It&#x27;s not just the NSA, but Microsoft selling personal information to advertisers or collecting analytic data that you have every right not to provide.