I would counter that how safe people feel, and to what extent they have an expectation of privacy online will determine their behavior. The technical effectiven

I would counter that how safe people feel, and to what extent they have an expectation of privacy online will determine their behavior. The technical effectiveness of the product is one thing, but how users perceive it will determine whether it offers them any real benefit. These things do matter. Remember Foucault's panopticon: If someone merely thinks they might be surveilled their behavior will change in profound ways. More concretely, if you think the government may be spying on your browsing habits, maybe there are sites you won't visit or comments you won't post or videos you won't watch. It's important not only that the product works, but that people feel it works so that they can behave more freely on the internet.