Privacy is a topic that has become very controversial over time. There is no simple conversation when it comes to privacy because it covers a lot from surveillance to little things like your pictures being used without permission if its on the web. If you ask me I think we all benefit if we try to take control of our privacy or at least be aware that there is a problem. 

I agree that sometimes we have to give up a bit of freedom in exchange for security and safety, but I think the people should have a say in how it goes. Obviously, there will be abuse of power when it comes to surveillance and it sucks. From a quick perspective and without giving it to much thought, phrases like “you shouldn’t be worried if you have nothing to hide” seemed interesting to me. I used to think this was a valid reasoning but I think if you really sit down and dissect the different aspects of privacy with this phrase, what I think you’ll find is that it is very flawed. This flaw is well explained in the article “ Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’’” which can be found in The Chronicle. In the article the author mentions a quote from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn who said “Everyone is guilty of something or has something to conceal. All one has to do is look hard enough to find what it is.” I think that this is a valid point. Not everyone has the same secrets or is trying to hide the same things. Everyone has their own thing and it would just seem to be impossible for someone to be so open about all aspects of privacy. 

Another person that was quoted by the author is Canadian Privacy Expert David Flaherty, who said, “There is no sentient human being in the Western world who has little or no regard for his or her personal privacy; those who would attempt such claims cannot withstand even a few minutes questioning about intimate aspects of their lives without capitulating to the intrusiveness of certain subject matters.” This is something he said that the author believed related to this “If you have nothing to hide, then that quite literally means you are willing to let me photograph you naked? And I get full rights to that photograph-so I can show it to your neighbors?”. I believe that this is an aspect that people don’t really consider. It’s easy to see why since the topic is very complex.

I’m sure we all worry about our privacy because we know how bad or embarrassing it could be. It’s unfortunate that some people have had issues with their privacy being violated and it’s something that happens a lot. One person who made headlines when their privacy was violated was Representative Katie Hill. She had some private photos leaked and shared all over the internet. I would imagine it was not easy for her to deal with as I’m sure most would as well.

https://www.businessinsider.com/prop-24-privacy-california-data-tracking-facebook-google-2020-11