Just because an Ethernet cable can be used to strangle someone doesn't mean that failing to stand in opposition to network wiring is to accept a certain amount of murder by strangulation. Don't focus on the tool being used for the crime but on the tool committing the crime.
I think this depends on the tool. Certainly we could see the tool being a problem if it was a mini nuke or Anthrax (I don't for the record think encryption rises to this level).
I'm very concerned that technology will put something devastating (at scale) in people's pockets and then we're kind of screwed (do we choose big brother and all that entails, or indescribable mass destruction?). I don't have a solution but it keeps me up some nights.
There are degrees to which tools are useful for committing crimes, and it's naive to pretend otherwise. Encryption is obviously an incredibly useful tool for committing a number of crimes, and I think it's better to argue that it's worth it than to act like there's no connection.
The government wants to expand surveillance so that way potentially disruptive social movements can be monitored and disrupted. Activists use signal too.
In case you hadn't noticed, the government is currently on its backfoot and disruptive social policy reforms are back on the table. They want to make sure that corporations get everything and the people get nothing.
The encryption fight has been going on for decades, but at root their complaints about terrorists and child trafficking are covers for expanding a lazy version of COINTELPRO. Lazy meaning that they can just sit in an office and see everything. Let's not forget the FBI's role in trying to get MLK to commit suicide. These shadowy agencies are not in any way the good guys.
A crowbar is also an incredibly useful tool for committing a number of crimes, and yet I don't see any legislators pushing to ban Home Depot from selling them, or to ban me from buying them.
Cars used to be a good example, but this is quickly changing. Modern cars relay OBD-II (unofficially OBD-III, not entirely ratified) data over cellular networks. Most electric cars and especially self driving cars are sending and receiving telemetry data and software updates all the time. Some people are even voluntarily adding OBD-II cellular dongles to their car to get lower insurance rates. This includes real time GPS coordinates and speed. Some regions are already considering making this a requirement for cars sold after {n} date (date to be determined) so they can see your smog emission data real time. This almost happened in California, but car manufacturers were not ready and successfully pushed back, for now. I would suggest that within a decade or so, a majority of cars will be wiretap devices.
