Why Privacy Matters: Debunking the Nothing-to-Hide Argument
Why Privacy Matters: Debunking the Nothing-to-Hide Argument
In today’s society, the word “privacy” has become ubiquitous. We see it every day; on HIPAA forms, social networking sites, online transactions, et cetera. In his essay, “Why Privacy Matters Even if
You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’”, published in May of 2011, Professor Daniel J. Solove argues that the issue of privacy affects more than just individuals hiding a wrong. Solove jumps right into his dissection of the
“I’ve got nothing to hide” argument, which is so often mentioned in discussions regarding the government’s gathering and analysis of our personal information. He explains how this argument stems from an inadequate definition of what privacy is and the value that privacy possesses. The adherents of the nothing-to-hide argument state that because the information will not be disclosed to the public, the
“privacy interest is minimal, and the security interest in preventing terrorism is much more important.”(Solove, para. 8)
Solove states that discussions about government data collection and surveillance do not focus on the problems associated with the processing and storage of the information gathered. Rather, they only focus on the collection and use of personal data. He argues that the process of information storage and analysis creates a power imbalance between people and the government. They collect small, seemingly harmless, pieces of information about us, which they combine together to make assumptions about our lives. Because we are not aware of the data that they possess, and because this data has been taken out of context, we are unable to correct any errors or misconceptions that the government might have about our actions. Solove explains how the nothing-to-hide argument focuses only on one or two minute types of privacy problems, while ignoring the others. Privacy is not often threatened by a single extreme act, but rather by a slow accumulation of small unobtrusive acts.
In today’s society, the word “privacy” has become ubiquitous. We see it every day; on HIPAA forms, social networking sites, online transactions, et cetera. In his essay, “Why Privacy Matters Even if
You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’”, published in May of 2011, Professor Daniel J. Solove argues that the issue of privacy affects more than just individuals hiding a wrong. Solove jumps right into his dissection of the
“I’ve got nothing to hide” argument, which is so often mentioned in discussions regarding the government’s gathering and analysis of our personal information. He explains how this argument stems from an inadequate definition of what privacy is and the value that privacy possesses. The adherents of the nothing-to-hide argument state that because the information will not be disclosed to the public, the
“privacy interest is minimal, and the security interest in preventing terrorism is much more important.”(Solove, para. 8)
Solove states that discussions about government data collection and surveillance do not focus on the problems associated with the processing and storage of the information gathered. Rather, they only focus on the collection and use of personal data. He argues that the process of information storage and analysis creates a power imbalance between people and the government. They collect small, seemingly harmless, pieces of information about us, which they combine together to make assumptions about our lives. Because we are not aware of the data that they possess, and because this data has been taken out of context, we are unable to correct any errors or misconceptions that the government might have about our actions. Solove explains how the nothing-to-hide argument focuses only on one or two minute types of privacy problems, while ignoring the others. Privacy is not often threatened by a single extreme act, but rather by a slow accumulation of small unobtrusive acts.
References: Solove, D. (2011). “Why Privacy Matters even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’”. The Chronicle Review. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Why-Privacy-Matters-Even- if/127461/