In my view, there is a case for civil disobedience. However, if you are going that route, then you should be prepared (and possibly even welcome) the consequen

In my view, there is a case for civil disobedience. However, if you are going that route, then you should be prepared (and possibly even welcome) the consequences. Your goal should be to draw attention to the problem and put pressure on the government to change its laws. This tactic is very good if the government is likely to respond to that kind of pressure. Gandhi and his followers risked death for their actions. Gandhi referred to them as "soldiers" because, even though their battlefield was political, the consequences were the same. Through the horrific deaths of the disobedient, the British government was forced out of India. Before you engage in an act of civil disobedience, you need to understand the playing field. For India, Gandhi surmised (and was correct) that the result would be as inevitable as the losses, and people willingly sacrificed themselves for the cause. This will not always be the case (and I would be very much surprised if it is the case in China because there is very little pressure that can be effectively applied to the Chinese government, whether inside or outside of the country). So if civil disobedience is not the goal, what is the point of trying to work around the spyware? Obviously to avoid being spied upon. But it's important to understand that it is breaking the law. It makes you a criminal -- with all the downsides that can bring. It doesn't matter whether it is moral or not. Being punished for breaking the law is an incredibly wasteful thing to do from the perspective of trying to make the country a better place, if you are not going the civil disobedience route (and hence using your punishment as a strategic weapon against the government). So what can you do? Possibly nothing except wait. Fighting and losing may be valiant and courageous, but it's also ineffective. Wait until you can make a difference. Prepare, and plan and store all your energy for the one time where you can succeed. If it doesn't come in your lifetime, then prepare the next generation to wait. Nothing is forever. And if you want to know how to communicate: never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes hurtling down the highway. As the top reply on SE currently points out, make your cellphone squeaky clean and ensure that there is a lot of normal data on it (i.e. use it like a normal person). Communicate secret things in a different manner.