The bank called me to ask about some wire transfers on my account. They claimed to do so because of account monitoring for the USA Patriot act.
Why wouldn't I answer their questions? I'm not a terrorist, after all, so I have nothing to hide. Or wait, I do have things to hide, they're just not terrorism. Maybe I do drugs they don't think you should be allowed to do. Maybe I have a sex life my neighbors wouldn't approve of. Maybe I eat stuff they wouldn't eat, I give to charities they wouldn't give to, I think ideas and worship gods that they do not. Privacy is how I can protect myself from their judgement and demands.
Privacy isn't about "I'm doing nothing wrong so I have nothing to hide." Privacy is about doing something most people think is wrong but isn't because it doesn't affect anyone else.
A lot of things used to be illegal. Alcohol, inter-racial marriage, being gay, Christianity, astronomy, American Independence. But privacy protects these things, it protects victim-less 'crimes' from an oppressive majority. It protects criminals like us.
compelling and persuasive
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