Notes on life, art, photography and technology, by a Danish dropout bohemian.
When you drink the water, remember the river.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have 'Nothing to Hide'
Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have 'Nothing to Hide',article.
It's a surprisingly hard point to make, and I don't even think this article does it well, it waffles a lot.
5 comments:
Kentg
said...
As my parents would say: "It's none of your beeswax." In today's local paper there was an example of how secret databases can cause a person problems because her name was confused with a felon's name.
The article explores many ideas about privacy, but seems to dance around a simple explanation of a key problem with the surveillance argument: it operates on a double standard. They don't trust me and therefore think they have a right to collect information about my private life. But they ask me to trust them not to misuse the information they collect.
I am expected to be open while they remain enshrouded in secrecy.
I've just left hospital after five weeks. In the ward, there is no real privacy. If you need a bed pan or have a full urine bottle for the nurse, everyone knows. If any minor medical procedures are carried out, everyone knows. Even though the curtains are drawn round, everyone knows.
I'm out now, and I am so glad to be at home, on my own, in private. I'm just lying there with a book, just as I was for a lot of my time on the ward, but in private. It means a lot.
5 comments:
As my parents would say: "It's none of your beeswax."
In today's local paper there was an example of how secret databases can cause a person problems because her name was confused with a felon's name.
The article explores many ideas about privacy, but seems to dance around a simple explanation of a key problem with the surveillance argument: it operates on a double standard. They don't trust me and therefore think they have a right to collect information about my private life. But they ask me to trust them not to misuse the information they collect.
I am expected to be open while they remain enshrouded in secrecy.
Kent's parents were geniuses too.
I've just left hospital after five weeks. In the ward, there is no real privacy. If you need a bed pan or have a full urine bottle for the nurse, everyone knows. If any minor medical procedures are carried out, everyone knows. Even though the curtains are drawn round, everyone knows.
I'm out now, and I am so glad to be at home, on my own, in private. I'm just lying there with a book, just as I was for a lot of my time on the ward, but in private. It means a lot.
Thanks, Roger. Have a good recovery.
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