I certainly believe privacy exists but in this era it is becoming a scarce commodity. The current surveillance trends don't seem to be stopping anytime soon and it looks likely it will get progressively worse. For the average man who enjoyed privacy prior to the turn of the century, he will need to take a hands on approach now. I think a high level of privacy is possible but once you get started you will always need to be vigilant. It won't be effortless like before. Your phone spies on you, your smart TV spies on you, your router spies on you, your isp, etc. Some of those things you can't do anything about. However, just because something is difficult doesn't mean you declare it dead

If slaves succumbed to their chains they would never be free. Freedom in any form is a struggle to maintain but it must be fought for. The next generation may find it nearly impossible to secure privacy but does that mean privacy then ceases to exist? I believe privacy is a trait of being human so humans will find a way. This is why crptography was created, to provide this means.

So I agree with your solution. I was planning an indepth post exploring this very topic. Technology could be a means to safeguard private information and resist snooping. I'm not educated enough to give much an opinion on open hardware solutions. But open software, for the most part ( I have heard of very few cases of open software being technically paranoid unfriendly) is the best tool to use to stay arms length away from prying eyes. Knowledge goes a long way in creating a closed box system with no holes. There are many techniques to utilize, all easily accessible to anyone who cares to use them.