Privacy matters even if “you have nothing to hide”

Re:Privacy matters even if “you have nothing to hide” by DoubleGlazing on Monday December 14, 2020 @08:25AM (#25417191)

I like to counter the "If you have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to hide" argument with...

"If I have done nothing wrong, then no one has the need to take an interest in my personal affairs."

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Re:Privacy matters even if “you have nothing to hide” by MaxBarraclough on Monday December 14, 2020 @09:11AM (#25417694)

This doesn't strike me as a very compelling response.

If someone is arguing for dragnet surveillance with the idea that it only really impacts the guilty, and you respond by pointing out that you're innocent so there's nothing to gain by surveilling you, you haven't refuted their position at all.

edit I see we're retreading an exchange (between others) from a few months back: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23709602

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Re:Privacy matters even if “you have nothing to hide” by DoubleGlazing on Monday December 14, 2020 @03:28PM (#25422824)

But if someone is Okay with a dragnet approach to find criminals, it also means that they are Okay with the government knowing every little detail of their life.

And I would assume most people have things they would rather other people or government not know about.

Everyone has secrets they want to keep.

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Re:Privacy matters even if “you have nothing to hide” by arvindamirtaa on Monday December 14, 2020 @08:27AM (#25417215)

Sarcasm ahead

But we don't know that you have done nothing wrong. Why don't we just take a quick peek and we'll leave you alone until we randomly decide to do this pointless exercise again?

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