This happens even when people do not realize it is happening to them. Self-censorship is not always a conscious process, and an increased ability to enforce the

This happens even when people do not realize it is happening to them. Self-censorship is not always a conscious process, and an increased ability to enforce the status quo means a decreased ability for people to even recognize that the status quo can be challenged. Without privacy, marijuana legalization would not be anywhere close to where it is today. Womens suffrage would have taken decades further. The American Revolution would have been stamped out. The ability to harbor unpopular opinions is essential to progress. And privacy is essential for that.