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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[–] InvalidName2@lemmy.zip 10 points 2 weeks ago

I know your question isn't necessarily US centric, but I'm going to write what I know.

The legal system in the USA is rarely fair or just to the average person. A completely innocent person can be detained and severely punished in a variety of ways from detention, life altering legal fees, coerced into pleading guilty, trial by media / public humiliation, and the police can literally, legally steal your property and money.

Worse, there are so many laws on the books and so many gotchas that essentially everyone in the USA (above a certain age) is breaking / has broken a law. Some things are obvious (driving even 1 MPH over the speed limit is breaking a law), but there are a myriad random things that are technically illegal but the average person doesn't know of, the laws are inconsistent, and they vary from town to town, county to county, state to state, etc.

Privacy helps shield people from some of the negative impacts of these regrettable features of our legal system. For me it really does boil down to the fact that while I myself may not have anything to hide, a right to privacy still protects me from unwarranted persecution / prosecution.

I'm old enough to recall a time when people like me (oh no the gays) were routinely outed and shamed by police even when they'd broken no laws. They'd publish "arrest reports" in the local papers making sure to state that the innocent person who had no charges filed against them was detained leaving the "Brass Bull Bar" (aka the well-known gay bar) or that the suspect was noted to be unclothed in bed with another man when arrested in his home. Basically people who had not actually broken a law, but still punished because at the time these revelations were enough to have people ostracized by family and community, but also it put their lives and health in danger.