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I'm frightened that 63% of citizens in their sample value "protection" over privacy. When I've tried to explain the need for privacy to those outside of my circ

I'm frightened that 63% of citizens in their sample value "protection" over privacy. When I've tried to explain the need for privacy to those outside of my circle, I always find my explanation lacking due to my inability to articulate why exactly privacy is important to me. How have others been explaining why privacy is important?

usefulcat 12y ago
Privacy is like freedom. If you don't value it for its own sake, you're unlikely to see any reason not to sacrifice it for the sake of security (perceived or otherwise).
- Create 12y ago
  Privacy is freedom of thought. http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/publications/berlin-keynote.html http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/publications/berlin-keynote.... https://benjamin.sonntag.fr/Moglen-at-Re-Publica-Freedom-of-thought-requires-free-media https://benjamin.sonntag.fr/Moglen-at-Re-Publica-Freedom-of-...
  - spaceshipdev 12y ago
    It's a right too.
ddod 12y ago
The etymology is important. Private vs. public is the difference between the individual and the group. What makes us individuals is that we exist independently from the public. If our actions, thoughts, opinions, and histories are public, we cease to be individuals. In practice, that means that differences between people will become a thing of the past either due to being "corrected" by the public or when we feel we must change ourselves to conform to fit in with the public.
thirdtruck 12y ago
You can point them to the horror stories from people who have been doxxed: identity theft, ruined credit, random stalkers at their front door. Remind them that the government is composed of individuals, like police officers that stalk the exes they abused through phone records.
tdkl 12y ago
I find Glenn Greenwalds explanation at TED quite compelling : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcSlowAhvUk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcSlowAhvUk
Spooky23 12y ago
It's a poorly asked proposition. From the poll: (http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2015/01/18/National-Politics/Polling/release_383.xml http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/...) "Q: What do you think is more important right now - (for the federal government to investigate possible terrorist threats) or (for the federal government not to intrude on personal privacy)?" That's not really an a/b question. The real question in my mind whether we believe that every corner of our nation and our lives is a small part of a warzone, in a "cyber war". That's the disconnect between people on HN and the NSA/military types. They are playing a different game.
macns 12y ago
Ed. Snowden summed it up nicely IMO with this: "Your rights matter because you never know when you're going to need them." privacy = rights

usefulcat 12y ago

Privacy is like freedom. If you don't value it for its own sake, you're unlikely to see any reason not to sacrifice it for the sake of security (perceived or otherwise).

Create 12y ago
Privacy is freedom of thought. http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/publications/berlin-keynote.html http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/publications/berlin-keynote.... https://benjamin.sonntag.fr/Moglen-at-Re-Publica-Freedom-of-thought-requires-free-media https://benjamin.sonntag.fr/Moglen-at-Re-Publica-Freedom-of-...
- spaceshipdev 12y ago
  It's a right too.

ddod 12y ago

The etymology is important. Private vs. public is the difference between the individual and the group. What makes us individuals is that we exist independently from the public. If our actions, thoughts, opinions, and histories are public, we cease to be individuals. In practice, that means that differences between people will become a thing of the past either due to being "corrected" by the public or when we feel we must change ourselves to conform to fit in with the public.

thirdtruck 12y ago

You can point them to the horror stories from people who have been doxxed: identity theft, ruined credit, random stalkers at their front door. Remind them that the government is composed of individuals, like police officers that stalk the exes they abused through phone records.

tdkl 12y ago

I find Glenn Greenwalds explanation at TED quite compelling : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcSlowAhvUk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcSlowAhvUk

Spooky23 12y ago

It's a poorly asked proposition. From the poll: (http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2015/01/18/National-Politics/Polling/release_383.xml http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/...) "Q: What do you think is more important right now - (for the federal government to investigate possible terrorist threats) or (for the federal government not to intrude on personal privacy)?" That's not really an a/b question. The real question in my mind whether we believe that every corner of our nation and our lives is a small part of a warzone, in a "cyber war". That's the disconnect between people on HN and the NSA/military types. They are playing a different game.

macns 12y ago

Ed. Snowden summed it up nicely IMO with this: "Your rights matter because you never know when you're going to need them." privacy = rights