this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2026
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Privacy

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Whats the flaw of the "Nothing to Hide" argument? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by SpiceDealer@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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To be clear, I don't subscribe to the idea of "Nothing to Hide." It's a bullshit argument. The reason why I'm asking this is because I want to be able to explain why it's bullshit. I don't like the fact that many people, including ones in my family, are willing giving up their right to privacy simply because they've become accustomed to convenience that modern technology has afforded them. I, myself, have been guilty of these but I'm actively taking steps to take back my privacy and potentially help others as well.

Bonus question: Many people will retort with things "Do you want criminals walking our streets?" or bring up an anecdote about how Flock, Ring or any other surveillance companies' cameras helped solve a crime or found a missing person. Flock themselves have a blog post series called #SolvedStories where they list so-called "success stories" about their cameras solving a case. Of course, I don't want criminals walking our streets and, sure, those stories might pull my heartstrings but what's the bigger picture?

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[–] infuziSporg@hexbear.net 6 points 2 weeks ago

"Nothing to hide? What about your password? Do you leave your front door unlocked? Do you use the bathroom without closing the door? If you have nothing to hide, what would your reaction be to a stranger rummaging around in your papers?"

Everyone employs secrecy because our society and economic system incentivize taking advantage of other people. Lawyers will often advise regular people to not talk to police beyond a bare minimum, because everybody commits small offenses, and the enforcement is incentivized to find false positives.

Bonus:
"Do I want criminals walking our streets? They already do, and half of them are in gangs that wear light blue uniforms."
"The people with the most anti-social behaviors and who have harmed others the most are the ones who are allowed to keep running society."

Our current public safety approach does not prevent crimes before they happen. Even if you made 90% of people police officers, there would still be crime. Sure, you can catch one offender here and there, but call me back when there's actually a substantial rise in everyone's well-being. Roughly 40% of taxes go to law and order, and as a fully-employed person, I find it hard to imagine losing more than that amount to crime.

I was once assaulted basically right in front of a security camera. I don't really care whether or not they locked up who did it, that won't make a difference to me or anyone else.