Serious Discussion Privacy: "I have nothing to hide?" Argument (What's your say?)

Zero Knowledge

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Dec 2, 2016
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I agree 100%. People who say "I've got nothing to hide so why worry?" have it totally wrong.

Privacy is a basic human right I think. We have a right not to be tracked online, and stuck in a government database for ever.

The problem is those who value their privacy and use tools to protect their privacy are now labeled as "extremists".

In a lot of countries there is no freedom, everyone is a suspect to the state and everyone is tracked.

The end result is you and your family could be killed for posting an opinion on the web.

People need to push back on surveillance otherwise we may as well relocate to Nth Korea.
 

Paul123

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Dec 9, 2016
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I wonder if these people would feel the same if they had a camera installed in their home, or their physical mail was opened and read? I remember Snowden saying how NSA people would often pass around explicit pictures that had been passed by couples to each other and had been intercepted by the NSA. They considered this a 'perk' of the job.

I cant remember if it was also Snowden, or someone else who responded to someone saying they had nothing to hide, by saying 'Prove it then, publish all your passwords online'

Surveillance is more than just privacy, it is about controlling. It would be physically impossible to monitor people constantly, but just being aware you could at any time be being watched in itself a control.
 
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BoraMurdar

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Aug 30, 2012
6,598
Question is , would you sell your privacy for the name of your security? Yes. And Yes, I have nothing to hide but that doesn't mean someone can have my private life on the USB stick without my knowledge. They just need to ask. But, I will quote Mark Twain :

“If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it.”

Privacy is just an illusion you may think you have. And it's not something new, spying is a control tool invented by ancient civilizations.
So, if you ask me, we don't count. We never did.
 

sudo -i

Level 4
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Jan 17, 2017
154
Question is , would you sell your privacy for the name of your security?
This is the real problem. If I knew I could get money for my completely uninteresting search history, I would like to be the one that sells it and benefits from it, not the companies and entities in question.

Paranoia in privacy has nothing to do with having things to hide, it's the idea of having data mined from you regardless of what that data is.
 

BoraMurdar

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This is the real problem. If I knew I could get money for my completely uninteresting search history, I would like to be the one that sells it and benefits from it, not the companies and entities in question.
You don't sell it for the money, you sell it for "the sake of national security" . Should you be asked what's the best for the national security? No, in their eyes. Yes, in my eyes. Just like you as a citizen of your country have an option to vote, you should have an option to chose whether your online activity should be recorded somewhere.
 

DJ Panda

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Aug 30, 2015
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Other than basic privacy, people not looking into you're home, or certain photos you don't want out. I have practically nothing that would be bad to get out. If I am accused of doing a crime I won't give any fuss to law enforcement. If you don't want to be a suspect try to actually listen instead of going into rage mode. Kinda have to disagree with the not having the free speech doesn't really add up in my mind. Read the reddit post and kind of against the MS hate. I think a lot of the troubles people are having with Windows 10 is because MS is getting the diagnostic data they need to fix the problems. Disabling those "spying" features seems like a "do at you're own risk" kind of things and people should lower the bashing. One more thing is adblocking. I know yall will grown with me because you know my stance. Not only adblocking can make browsing "safer" it can "protect your privacy" from all sorts of "malicious ads" You can always switch to Tor Browser, or even try an incognito mode in something like Chrome. (My friend does this all the time but its more for performance stuff)

Note: I am having a lot of trouble answering this question. Go easy on me please. :p
 
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SpectacularTheDude

Level 2
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Jan 25, 2017
94
I for one am not ready to have a probe constantly up my behind for someone to be able to sell better advertisement to me.
People may think they have nothing to hide, but getting blood test results back via email and then having google or other entities selling that info to insurance companies, for example, isn't that funny now is it?
Imagine you have something that needs treatment and the insurance company you have been with ditches you so you won't cost them money or increases you payments to compensate accordingly.
But that's my 2 cents on this...
 

Exterminator

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Oct 23, 2012
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An excellent question and debate!!!
It's a statement made to be contrary and appear aloof.
But it is still necessary to explain to people how dangerous is a theft of personal data regardless of whether they are important or not ??
Agree with both of these statements 100 %

"I have nothing to hide" .......
Many probably make this statement because they have nothing to say.
I myself have nothing to hide and I would hope those I interact with on a daily basis can say the same.
Everyone has a right to their privacy but in today's world most of us voluntarily jeopardize that right everyday.
Does it make you a "paranoid" person if you take whatever steps you feel necessary to protect you and your families privacy and security? Absolutely not.
Are some overly paranoid? Absolutely.
Are some overly paranoid because they have something to hide? Absolutely not.
"Spying" is a term thrown about as much as the "I have nothing to hide" statement.
Is "Big Brother" "spying" on everyone? Hardly.
Are some "spying" techniques necessary (depending on where you live) to protect your right to privacy,security and safety? Absolutely 100%
 

MBYX

Level 1
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Jan 19, 2017
40
double edged sword.
Europe has a right to be forgotten law applying to internet.
free peach and the right to user privacy needs to exist.
bad people in the world use the right to privacy to hide.
in china they have recently banned all VPN usage unless you have an official government approval.

i can see pros and cons to both sides.
 

Paul123

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Dec 9, 2016
174
I think another question is does mass surveillance actually do any good regarding homeland security? Denmark introduced laws similar to the UK's Snoopers charter a while back, but recently repealed them when it was found they had only been ever useful in one single case. Add to that the fact that the cost is estimated to be £1Bn a year (which the government wants to pass on to web and phone companies which will mean higher costs) and financially it makes no sense either; that money could be better spent on other services.

Despite the Government saying that petitions with over 100K votes on their website will be discussed and getting 208K votes to discuss repealing it, they made an exception in this case, and would not do so.

I would actually argue the Snoopers charter makes us less safe as the Government are undermining encryption and demanding surveillance backdoors in order to do this surveillance. Things which if they fall into the wrong hands (and the Government has a pretty bad record of doing this) could be catastrophic.
 
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509322

But it is still necessary to explain to people how dangerous is a theft of personal data regardless of whether they are important or not ??

Absolutely. I personally have nothing to hide, but at the same time I don't want my privacy subject to abuse - and we all know that those that are in a position to abuse very often will do so given the motive and opportunity. History has proven this countless times. That is the core of the whole privacy debate.

The reality is that what typical users think, feel and believe regarding privacy is simply ignored. There are two things that compel others to ignore users' privacy concerns - money (the entitlement and motive via commercialization of the net to make money using user data) and crime of all kinds that utilize digital devices (privacy laws make "our" job difficult so we will push and enact laws that stack everything to make our job easier - even if that means trampling user rights underfoot). As far as the U.S. is concerned, you have no online right to privacy. That boat sailed - and the sad part is that the citizenry let it all happen.

The chief salesman (U.S.) for Hacking Team (Italian) that was on Viceland made my blood boil with his dismissive "That kind of privacy is short-sighted and unrealistic in my opinion." But that is the thinking at the highest levels nowadays - and it is only going to get worse.
 
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Zero Knowledge

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Dec 2, 2016
849
Do forum members realize you are labeled an extremist by the NSA/CIA/FBI for discussing security and privacy topics on forums?

Your already in a database somewhere and are being actively monitored. Your already on a watch list.

But who cares right? No such thing as privacy right? I have nothing to hide right?

When you are blackmailed in the future for something you said 20 years ago on forum I'm sure you will wish you stood up for your privacy.
 

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