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Comment by deadcore | Hacker News Reader

The thing which always irks me about the "I have nothing to hide" comment is would you behave the same if you were being observed. The conversations we all have in the pub, in the car and even in the privacy of our home - would they be the same knowing there is a camera or audio device listening.

May just be my tin foil hat speaking, but I believe a lot of things would change knowing you're always being listened to even when you think it's just two people in the room

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My standard response to "I have nothing to hide" is "then why are you wearing clothes?". It seems to work relatively well to put things into the exact perspective you describe.

That’s a silly response, as clothes aren’t worn for “hiding”, but for the negative social consequences of the alternative.

Ignoring the role social taboo plays in that interaction isn’t intellectually honest.

Social taboo is a reason we hide things. We know there are social taboos against many things that are harmless, like nudity, so we conceal them. I feel it's a pretty good analogy.

I disagree. A lot of what people would "hide" are in fact equivalent to "clothes" worn because of social norms or taboos.

A comment I make to a friend sitting next to me would be inappropriate to make to the policeman in the corner, or to my boss. Inappropriate to the point of there being consequences.

100%. I have group chats with friends where we express views that would be viewed askance, to put it lightly, by those that don't share the same opinions. Something to hide? Not particularly, but its private discussion so fuck off thank you kindly.

Well there can be multiple reasons. Think of those overweight kids who wear shirts at the pool.

There’s also the obvious warmth and protection from the elements (like UV) they provide.

I feel like the whole clothes thing was a horrible example.

>There’s also the obvious warmth and protection from the elements (like UV) they provide.

If we only wore clothes for "warmth and protection" then why do we wear them indoors? The point is still valid.

Who says we all do? ;)

interestingly this was downvoted even though it’s objectively accurate. Interesante indeed.

> but for the negative social consequences of the alternative

You mean like hiding your bank balance because the social consequences of people seeing it? Or hiding your medical records because of the social consequences of people seeing it?

Society seems to have largely accepted those airport nudie scanners though...

There is a choice to not go through them and get a 'pat-down'.

My response is to "I have nothing to hide", is that isn't what you're giving up when you give away your privacy. You should be comfortable with "never needing to hide anything in your past, present, or future". The future is impossible to predict and actions that could be innocuous today may cause a great deal of trouble for you in the future. You give up that right forever when you lose privacy.

I believe there is a much more powerful control mechanism than recording devices. It's in your own brain created by years of socialization and there is no way to hide form it, no thought without it. Some may call it conscience but I think may of its parts are simply surveillance software. It's why most people unconsciously signal it to others when they lie or have done some socially unacceptable things. It can even lower your own self-esteem. That is to say that it has real power.

That's a sword that cuts both ways though. Probably a lot less likely to diddle a kid or beat your wife if it's on camera.

Probably a lot less likely to have sex with your wife if it's on camera...

Sure, yet most people wouldn't agree to install that camera in their bedroom even so.

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