Editorial: Who Watches the Watchers?

I've been talking to everyone who will listen recently about the issue of goverment survelience and the increasing invasion of privacy that has been brought to the forefront in recent news. And, I keep getting the same, stupid reply. "I don't care . . . I don't have anything to hide . . . I'm not doing anything wrong"

Until recently, my retorts have largely focused on the problems that could arise in the future, based on mismanagement of information. My biggest fears were that the goverment would mishandle MY information, or slightly worse, may suddenly decide to change the definition of right and wrong, and use my information to retroactively punish me. I mean, afterall, it wasn't wrong to be jewish in germany pre-police state, right?

But, as I've pondered the issue more, i've come to realize the issue is bigger than what could happen with my information. I realized I was perpetuating the idea that privacy is about hiding a wrong. It's wrong for the government to invade my privacy with unprovoked survelience. But, it's wrong because it's an invasion of my privacy . . . and privacy is a basic human need.

Is it wrong for me to want to be alone and unwatched on occasion to reflect privately? Or, more simply, is it wrong for me to want privacy when i take a dump? Of course not. But, if the government continues increasing survelience at the current rate, it won't be long before we are being watched in our own homes. And, in some ways, we already are in that the goverment has been collecting information about every phone call we make. (link)

I don't know a single person who doesn't do something 'wrong' on an almost daily basis. Think about it . . . when was the last time you exceeded the speed limit? Dropped a piece of trash on the sidewalk? Watch someone long enough, and you'll almost certainly find something for which to arrest them (or blackmail them). Or, possibly worse, find something to sell to marketers, or to simply peep.

Which brings me to my main point. Privacy protects us from abuses by those in power . . . even if we're doing nothing wrong at the time of survellience.

Imagine, if you will, a world in which we are constantly watched, observed in all manners. We would be in constant threat of correction, criticism, judgement, or even plagarism. We'd become children, constantly living in fear, afraid of what may happen at any moment, and afraid that we may have done something in the past that at the time was not illegal, but may become illegal and retroactively punishable by those in power.

Too many incorrectly label the debate as "security versus privacy". But I move that the debate is more correctly labeled as "liberty versus control". Liberty requires security plus privacy, security without intrusion. And that is why we must oppose constant survellience - even if we are doing nothing wrong. For "Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither" - Ben Franklin