Firstly....... I am not a user of airband equipment.
My point is, if it were important the contents of the transmissions remained confidential something would be done about it. Nothing is done about it, no prosecutions, equipment still legally on sale, why not bring the law into harmony with what is actually happening??
Both HD and OO explain that listening to airband is illegal, which indeed it is, but neither say what HARM is being done by the practice. As no harm is being done I guess the "authorities" are willing to leave things as there are.
Planemike