ABSTRACT: We consider the problem of privacy in direct communications, showing how quantum mechanics can be useful to guarantee a certain level of confidentiality. In particular, we review a continuous variable approach recently proposed by us [Pirandola et al., Europhys. Lett. 84, 20013 (2008)]. Here, we analyze the degree of privacy of this technique against a broader class of attacks, which includes non-Gaussian eavesdropping.