USA: +1 415 256 4347 
Sign in
Answer
Discuss the logic of this famous quote by Edward Snowden:
“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”
Answer
Name of student
Name of Professor
Sociology Paper
3 August 2016.
The Logic of the Famous Quote by Edward Snowden
Among the biggest effects of the 9/11 attacks was the introduction of new intelligence and security measures by the American government both internally and internationally to protect its citizens (McGrath 78). The growth of the Internet as well as strengthening technological abilities has enabled the government to establish a surveillance system with the aim of tightening security to avoid similar tragedies in future (Slobogin 46). Edward Snowden, a former U.S. government contractor, released documents which detailed the extent of security- and surveillance-related privacy intrusions the government was perpetuating on its citizens as part of the war against terrorism. In his criticism of this move, he posted a famous quote on popular website Reddit. He stated that: “Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying that you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say”.
There is a fine line between maintaining security amidst a growing threat of global terrorism and safeguarding basic civil liberties such as the right to privacy in the process. According to Snowden, Americans should not forego and give up their right to privacy, intellectual freedom, creativity and basic civic freedoms in exchange for security guarantee. They should retain the power to determine the point at which surveillance becomes an obstruction to personal space (Richards 1942). This is a difficult question that Snowden, who is often regarded a betrayer by many senior U.S. government and security officials, has spoken passionately about on different platforms. His views arise from obvious concerns about today’s ever-growing surveillance network that poses a threat to individual privacy. Intriguingly, many people in America, including legal stakeholders, appear unperturbed by this situation.
Snowden’s basic argument is simple and straightforward, it addresses the basic concepts of social organization and individual dignity. A lot of legal input and sacrifice has gone into the creation of human rights and freedoms that are well-protected by the Constitution. Privacy and freedom of expression are among the inalienable rights that each individual is guaranteed. As such, when the protector, in this case the government, turns round to take away human rights for the sake of other perceived superior rights and obligations such as security, then the protector becomes the aggressor.
In Snowden’s view, the common claim that ‘we have nothing to hide’, reveals a misinformed and hugely government-controlled population that has completely ceded its power to the administration to do as it may see fit. In his opinion, citizens must not compromise their privacy for the sake of protection just as they have not given up on free speech even in situations when they may not have something to say. In this case, Snowden is keen to see a situation where both security and freedom of privacy exist side by side. The analogy he uses of freedom of speech is one that is popularly exercised across platforms as part of social discourse. A close look into the biggest social issues reveals the critical role that free speech plays in creating awareness and directing resources to problem-solving particularly in regards to issues such as racism, corruption, sexism, educational policies, and health (Lyon 67). In the same vein, the freedom of privacy must prevail even under the present circumstances of a growing threat of terrorism.
Overall, Snowden’s famous quote is a reminder on a basic form of oppression that can occur when citizens give up their rights in the guise of the fight against a common problem facing a country. In the face of today’s terrorism threat, the issue on privacy may be perceived as inconsequential and non-impacting. However, the situation will only get worse because more far-reaching privacy violations are likely to occur in future. Snowden’s main concern, it seems, is that in the coming decades, the concept of privacy may become completely extinct due to the normalization of personal surveillance and excessive monitoring of individual citizens’ actions by security agencies.
Works Cited
Lyon, David. Surveillance as Social Sorting: Privacy, Risk and Digital Discrimination. London: Routledge, 2003. Print.
McGrath, John. Loving Big Brother: Performance, Privacy and Surveillance Space. New York: Routledge, 2004. Print.
Richards, Neil. The Dangers of Surveillance. Harvard Law Review, Vol. 126, No. 7. (2013): 1934-1965. Print.
Slobogin, Chistopher. Privacy at Risk: The New Government Surveillance and the Fouryh Amendement . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print.
