Governmental access to encrypted information - To what extent and how to achieve that extent?

No body can deny the importance of encryption technology in today's communications, with all the benefits it has also posed some threats, due to which, governments and regulatory bodies have great concern about encrypted information and have set out some policies and are still busy in regulating the wide spread use of encryption technology. In an attempt to control the encryption technology to make the society safe from the threats of terrorism and crime, governments have over shadowed the benefits of encryption technology for the privacy, liberty of the citizens and economic growth of the nation. There has been a lot of opposition and criticism on these policies, and society has objected to the demands of governments over encryption technology, and have demanded balanced solutions that should take safety within the context of free society and not otherwise.