The most common argument used in defense of mass surveillance is ‘If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear’. Try saying that to women in the US states where abortion has suddenly become illegal. Say it to investigative journalists in authoritarian countries. Saying ‘I have nothing to hide’ means you stop caring about anyone fighting for their freedom. And one day, you might be one of them.
The way I explain it to people who say that to me is that it doesn’t even have to be something illegal or sketchy.
Everyone…and I mean everyone has something about themselves that, were it common knowledge, would change the way your friends and family look at you. Maybe for the better. Maybe not. And if you, for whatever reason, don’t want that they be known, then so be it. That’s totally your decision, not the governments.
If you want to let your freak flag fly proudly, go ahead. You have my full love and support. If you want to fly your freak flag privately and not have it be common knowledge. You also have my full love and support.
It’s not about “having something to hide”. It’s about the you that you choose to present to the world. And that is a fundamental right.
It’s also about the fact that social standards and laws change. What may be perfectly acceptable today, could cost you your job or freedom in a few years.
Look at how many people lost their jobs, careers, and social standings because of old tweets that were resurfaced years later. That’s not even legal changes, just social propriety changes. The internet used to be the Wild West. People would go out with guns blazing, hootin ’ and a hollerin’. Then several years later we found ourselves in this socially progressive identity focused environment and shit people said in passing, likely without any thought at all, suddenly became part of their public identity.
Now imagine that there’s a drastic change in the law. Today you’re celebrating pride month, and 5 years from now homosexuality is outlawed retroactively… Seems preposterous, but it’s really not. We need our privacy, from both the government and corporations.