If you’ve dealt with the hacker and security crowd for any amount of time, you’ll know that a lot of us are invested in techniques that help us preserve privacy. We’ll also cry foul when Governments and Corporations across the planet implement some kind of a compensating control or law that will limit, curtail, or derail privacy.

The arguments haven’t changed since the freaking 60’s, but the strongest arrow in the quiver of the powerful is this phrase:

If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear

It’s interesting to me that people use this phrase and see themselves as the good guys. This is the exact sort of thing a German SS soldier might have uttered when looking for Jewish refugees in World War 2. It’s a deeply unpopular sentiment that only really authoritarian types take. Even Mark Zuckerberg of all people acknowledges that privacy is the wave of the future, even though I’m certain he’ll work to undermine it.

Note: Anyone who utters this phrase to me is admitting that they are making an argument in bad faith and I refuse to take them seriously. I will accept other arguments that are similar; For example, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant” at least acknowledges the benefits of radical transparency, but I will not accept the “nothing to hide gambit”.

The Hypocrisy

I’ve noticed a pattern in the people who tend to use this phrase. When it’s about the citzenry, it’s all about having nothing to hide. When it’s about themselves, it’s all national security this and safety risk that.

It’s privacy for me and not for thee.

But here’s the thing…

I’m not actually bothered by Police Snooping. They need to snoop. If I don’t want to be tracked by dragnet surveillance technologies, I will adapt to a community that fits my standards.

I’m not bothered by Mega-Corporations shoving tracking cookies into every orifice. It’s their servers and programs, and they’re entitled to code them the way they want. I will use services that respect my privacy.

I’m not bothered by intelligence agencies feeding disinformation to the public. A good feint is what’s needed to attack an adversary. And I personally don’t buy anything they say anyway.

That is the nature of those kind of beasts. Asking people in authority not to snoop is like asking a snake to not have venom. At best, they’ll ignore you. At worst, they’ll declare you a threat and have you taken care of for having the gaul to question them.

My problem is the hypocrisy.

To have the nerve to imply we should be fearful if we want to preserve our privacy while they use red-tape to make themselves unaccountable? Now that’s what I refuse to accept.

And luckily, this is really becoming a non-issue. Everyone has cell phones and scrutiny is being applied to the powerful and powerless both. Transparency or privacy: society will either have to pick one or apply a fair measure of both. It’s up to us to make sure the standard is applied fairly.

The Challenge

I refuse to accept the “If you’ve got nothing to hide” argument and so should you. Let me offer this challenge to those who would like to take this stance.

I will stop resisting to your spying on me IF and ONLY IF:

  • You place a motorolla tag in all of your cars and provide me location access.

  • You provide me with the passwords to all of your online services and accounts.

  • You provide me with unencrypted backups of all your phone’s data.

If you are unwilling to provide me with the above, then I cannot guarantee the safety of the data that you would take from me and for the sake of my security, I’m going to have to decline your surveillance.

If someone can take away your rights because of “national security”, I see no reason why you can’t assert your rights in the name of God-given personal security.

Stay encrypted out there boys and girls.