Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

People with nothing to hide

twitter.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

261–268 of 268 posts

Re: People with nothing to hide

#261

Post by pkulak »

john_flintstone wrote: post #78

Questions for people with nothing to hide: 1. Have you ever had an abortion? 2. Have you ever cheated on your husband / wife? 3. Are you currently looking for a new job? 4. Have you ever being diagnosed with a mental illness? 5. Are you currently on anti-depressants? 6. Were you ever sexually abused as a child? 7. Have you ever fancied someone of the same sex? 8. Have you ever had sex with someone of the same sex? 9.…

I wasn't aware that this controversy was about the government publishing citizens' most private personal secrets on the internet. You're right, this is a whole lot different!

Re: People with nothing to hide

#262

Post by D_Alex »

john_flintstone wrote: post #78

Questions for people with nothing to hide: 1. Have you ever had an abortion? 2. Have you ever cheated on your husband / wife? 3. Are you currently looking for a new job? 4. Have you ever being diagnosed with a mental illness? 5. Are you currently on anti-depressants? 6. Were you ever sexually abused as a child? 7. Have you ever fancied someone of the same sex? 8. Have you ever had sex with someone of the same sex? 9.…

Ehh... this is all relevant, but indirect. How about:

22. What is your credit card number, expiry date and security code?

And on the subject of "nothing to hide from the government": the government in United States is - still - pretty good. But the trend, the trend is a worry!

Re: People with nothing to hide

#263

Post by c3d »

If you have nothing to hide, then you don't matter. In this information age, data is money. There's a difference between having nothing to be ashamed of and having nothing to hide.

Re: People with nothing to hide

#264

Post by Ygg2 »

throwmeaway33 wrote: post #240
Ygg2 wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a hyperbole to demonstrate that hiding certain things isn't an illegal or a even bad thing. In fact I'd say its overall better for all involved. And for the record there is always a way to do all the listed things while being completely more or less naked (transparent clothing, frequent showerings, small discreet tatto, etc).

I think you're example is a good example of how weak the arguments for privacy are. All I see are hyperbolic examples. My favorite ones are where people try to bring up how the lack of privacy lead to horrors like NAZI Germany or Iran as if the US is somehow comparable. And they say "But government can change!". Only in la-la land is the US government going to turn into Iran. No developed country in the past 50 years…

No, its not. Do you think we are buying any essential safety for freedom? I don't think so. They have a needle in a haystack problem with a large responsibility such knowledge holds.

If you don't think governments can't change, I'd like to hear your opinions on how we went from a authoritarian (kingdoms) to democratic governments in the first place (or vice versa). Everything changes. Even societies change on micro (companies, clubs) to macro (governments or totality of the world) level all the time as new people arrive and old people leave.

US won't turn into Iran over night, it might take decades, centuries even to change into a totalitarian regime. But first sign is trampling your constitution. I'm not saying its going there but it could be going that way.

Re: People with nothing to hide

#265

Post by Ygg2 »

diminoten wrote: post #231
capnrefsmmat wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Responses like these just legitimize the idea that privacy is about hiding things. It isn't. Privacy is a way of restricting the government's power over you. Giving the government the power to read your email, tap your phone, and record your porn usage isn't bad simply because it's embarrassing. After all, the data will likely only be seen by a computer. But it gives the government enormous power to make decisions ab…

For someone like me, someone who has explored this area philosophically (and if you think that sounded pompous, just wait), I find arguments like, "YES YOU DO HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE" to be a) presumptive and b) not compelling. It just smacks of a lack of understanding about personal responsibility and honesty. What I'd want, if I didn't yet think privacy was necessary, would be an argument not that privacy is itself…

I don't think that privacy has anything to do with government. Privacy to me at least, is the ability to filter information I present to other people or groups of people.

Re: People with nothing to hide

#266

Post by ansgri »

billiamram wrote: post #238
john_flintstone wrote: post #78

Questions for people with nothing to hide: 1. Have you ever had an abortion? 2. Have you ever cheated on your husband / wife? 3. Are you currently looking for a new job? 4. Have you ever being diagnosed with a mental illness? 5. Are you currently on anti-depressants? 6. Were you ever sexually abused as a child? 7. Have you ever fancied someone of the same sex? 8. Have you ever had sex with someone of the same sex? 9.…

According to your quiz, I have nothing to hide, but I'm still a strong privacy advocate. Privacy to me is all about context and understanding the consequences of your actions. If I run naked through Times Square, I shouldn't have any reasonable expectation of physical privacy, but if I whisper to a friend I would. Either way the important factor in both scenarios is that your expectation of privacy aligns with realit…

It could be an interesting idea for terrorists to terrorize people this way: just distribute their numbers and see Gov't do their work.

Re: People with nothing to hide

#267

Post by zquestz »

Wow I wept a little bit for all these people. Don't people realize that you don't need to have "something to hide" to deserve privacy? How about I setup a video camera in your shower, you have nothing to hide. So why not? I promise only government officials will have access.
Post reply on HN