Tuesday, July 10, 2007

"I've Got Nothing to Hide" and Other Misunderstandings of Privacy

DANIEL J. SOLOVE
George Washington University Law School
San Diego Law Review, Vol. 44, No. #, 2007
GWU Law School Public Law Research Paper No. 289


Abstract:
In this short essay, written for a symposium in the San Diego Law Review, Professor Daniel Solove examines the "nothing to hide" argument. When asked about government surveillance and data mining, many people respond by declaring: "I've got nothing to hide." According to the "nothing to hide" argument, there is no threat to privacy unless the government uncovers unlawful activity, in which case a person has no legitimate justification to claim that it remain private. The "nothing to hide" argument and its variants are quite prevalent, and thus are worth addressing. In this essay, Solove critiques the "nothing to hide" argument and exposes its faulty underpinnings.

Download the Whole Paper Here

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