Does privacy matter if you have nothing to hide?
In many instances, hardly anyone will see the information, and it won’t be disclosed to the public. Thus, some might argue, the privacy interest is minimal, and the security interest in preventing terrorism is much more important. In this less extreme form, the nothing-to-hide argument is a formidable one.
Why is if you have nothing to hide you don’t need privacy a weak argument?
The “nothing to hide” argument mistakenly suggests that privacy is something only criminals desire. The refrain “nothing to hide” should not be a license for sweeping government surveillance. Even if you think you have nothing to hide, you may indeed have something to fear. You might fear for yourself.
Why you should value privacy even if you have nothing to hide?
Privacy underpins a healthy democracy, and ensures our freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. The erosion of privacy is something that affects all people, even those who have nothing to hide.
Why do I fear when I have nothing to hide?
This is in response to a climate of fear. So being told that, ‘nothing to hide, means you have nothing to fear’ is reassuring because we all want nothing to fear. And at the same time it introduces the vague threat that maybe, if you haven’t behaved, you do have something to fear.
Who first said if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear?
The phrase – widely used in discussions of Internet security and uttered by Pius Thicknesse in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – is most commonly attributed to Joseph Goebbels in 1933.
What does it mean when someone says they have nothing to hide?
If somebody confides in you that they were assaulted, for example, an “I have nothing to hide” means that you’re going to give up not just the secrets of your own, but the secrets confided to you as well, including that somebody close to you was assaulted.
Why does privacy matter in government?
Privacy is a limit on government power, as well as the power of private sector companies. The more someone knows about us, the more power they can have over us. Personal data is used to make very important decisions in our lives. And in the wrong hands, personal data can be used to cause us great harm.
How does the government threaten privacy?
Governments can invade privacy by taking and using personal information against the will of individuals. Private companies cannot get information from people who refuse to share it. Moving beyond privacy, governments can knock down doors, audit people’s finances, break up families, and throw people in jail.
Is surveillance a violation of human rights?
This article has illustrated that new digital surveillance tools violate a number of human rights, such as the rights to privacy, freedom of movement, and health, in addition to committing several specific rights violations against vulnerable groups, such as migrants, LGBTQ populations, and the elderly.