Nothing to Hide: Student Arguments
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Post By Dr. Morgan Banville
This is the second year that I am teaching an undergraduate Surveillance and Professional Communication course. Like the first time teaching the course, current events have been particularly timely (and time consuming, if you’re reading the news) when introducing issues of surveillance and privacy into the classroom space. One of my favorite assignments is purposefully timed in the fifth week of the semester because, being a third of the way through, students at this point tend to have some ideas and their own opinions as to why it may be important to protect privacy.
What follows is an assignment and several of my students’ responses to the “Nothing to Hide” argument: that if people did not have anything to hide, then they should not be concerned about sharing their information.
In class, we read and listen to the following resources from Amnesty International, the ACLU, and Techlore (one of my favorite surveillance podcasts), which help to frame the argument:
“Nothing to Hide” is often used by Big Tech and governmental agencies, who argue that sharing data is crucial to national security, and therefore, if people are not conducting any illegal activity, then they have nothing to worry about. Some of my students argue that companies already know so much about them, so why even bother trying to protect their information? In response, other students will chime in with examples ranging from sharing medical data or bank information to even discussing why having doors on bathroom stalls is important.
As an assignment, I ask my students to write a blog style post on the following prompt:
Translate the ‘nothing to hide’ argument to an audience who might make that argument (maybe even a fellow classmate!). Someone they interact with every day like their parents or siblings. Why should they care about privacy? What is the argument and why should they care? Convince them.
Due to [gestures to any news headline], it felt timely to share student responses to why they feel like “nothing to hide” isn’t a reasonable argument to give up their privacy. So, here are some sample student blogs (posted with permission). We hope that you too will consider, as one student wrote, why we are giving up our privacy in the first place?
Jack Donovan, Emergency Management
"I have nothing to hide." Are you sure?
I'm sure you've heard this before. You may have even mentioned it. Why worry about privacy if you're doing nothing wrong?
However, that notion misses the mark. Hiding things is only one aspect of privacy. It all comes down to control.
For a moment, consider your phone. Where you go, what you look up, what you watch, and what you click on are all being monitored. That data is gathered and kept on file. It also doesn't simply sit there. Employers utilize it to determine your identity and potential future actions.
Thus, there is still something at risk even if you have nothing to conceal. Your options.
Now, picture yourself being followed all day by someone. They keep an eye on your activities, whereabouts, and conversations. That would not be acceptable to you. So why does it seem natural when you're online?
There's more to this than that. Data does not vanish. What you share or search for today might appear later. At a job interview, perhaps. Perhaps in an academic application. Things can be misinterpreted. Additionally, you have no control over your data once it is public.
This is not about a single individual. It has an impact on all. Businesses and governments may get more information more easily when individuals lose interest in privacy. That may eventually result in greater control and less freedom.
"Do I have something to hide?" is not the question.
"Do I want control over my own information?" is the question.
Because it is very difficult to regain control after it has been lost.
Indeed, you might not have anything to conceal. However, you still have something to defend.
Andon Werling, Marine Transportation
After reviewing the resources about the nothing to hide argument [linked above], it has completely changed my perspective on how we are tracked, monitored, and how I view my own privacy. The main idea is that these two articles and one podcast are arguing against the “nothing to hide” idea. What they all have in common is that they all explain that privacy is important even if you are not doing anything wrong. I have come to realize that privacy is not just about hiding bad things or things you don’t want out, but it's about you being in control having the power to know that you have your own privacy and protection.
Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t care about privacy because I have nothing to hide”? I have heard this before and have said it myself. At first, it sounds like it makes sense. If you’re not doing anything wrong, why care? You have nothing to worry about. But after taking a deep dive into the articles and podcast do you really want to be recorded and monitored all the time? I know that I don’t.
Privacy isn’t just about hiding bad things. It’s about having control over your own life with what you do and when you do it. Imagine if someone followed you around all day keeping tabs on everything you did like what you ate, who you talked to, or what you searched online. Although you weren’t doing anything wrong to me it would feel really weird and uncomfortable.
The article “You May Have 'Nothing to Hide' But You Still Have Something to Fear” states, “In fact, we choose to do many things in private – sing in the shower, make love, confide in family and friends – even though they are not wrong or illegal. Who would not be embarrassed if all of their most intimate details were exposed? Fences and curtains are ways to ensure a measure of privacy, not indicators of criminal behavior. Privacy is a fundamental part of a dignified life” (Abdo, 2013). This is a good example of why privacy is important even when you have “nothing to hide.” It shows that privacy isn’t about hiding bad or illegal behavior, it's about personal comfort, and being able to have control over your own life. The examples highlight that people want private spaces, not because they’re doing something wrong, but because everyone deserves personal space and privacy.
Even if you have nothing to hide now doesn’t mean your information couldn’t be used against you later. Things change. Rules change. What seems harmless today might not be in the future. To me, privacy is like having a door to your room. You’re not hiding anything bad, but you still want your own privacy and space. I believe that everyone deserves that. According to Amnesty International (2015), “our communications are being monitored without any reasonable suspicion that we might be doing something dodgy. Governments are treating us all like criminal suspects, and every detail of our personal lives as suspicious.” This is a good example of how governments treat everyone like a suspect, even if people aren’t doing anything wrong. It shows that collecting and monitoring everyone’s information without cause can be harmful, and the “nothing to hide” argument is ignored and is out the window.
After reviewing the articles and podcast, I have learned that privacy isn’t about hiding things, it's about having control, and protection over your own life. Even if you think you have “nothing to hide,” your information can be collected, tracked, and used in ways you might not expect or want. Privacy allows people to be them and gives them the freedom to live, think, and act without worrying about always being monitored or watched.
Why “Nothing to Hide” is the Wrong Way to Think About Your Own Privacy
Jaxon Lavallee, Marine Science, Safety, and Environmental Protection
Let’s be honest, how many times have you heard a person you know say, “I’ve got nothing to hide, so I don’t really care about my privacy”? Maybe it was one of your parents, maybe your sibling, or maybe even a buddy who sits next to you in class. At first glance, it sounds reasonable, right? If you’re not doing anything inherently “wrong;” why worry about it? But that whole idea misses the point.
The “nothing to hide” argument automatically assumes that privacy is only for the people who are guilty of something or “hiding” something they've done. In reality, your privacy is a normal part of everyday life. “Privacy is a fundamental part of a dignified life” (Abdo, 2013). Just think about it, no one leaves their bathroom door open, shares all the texts they send, or would want their search history read out loud to a group of people they know. “Who would not be embarrassed if all of their most intimate details were exposed?” (Abdo, 2013). That’s not exactly because we’re hiding crimes, but more because privacy gives us dignity and control over our lives individually.
Another issue with this argument is that it puts the burden on you instead of the people watching you. In a fair society, we’re supposed to be treated as innocent unless there’s a reason to suspect otherwise, or proven guilty. Although mass surveillance flips that idea, treating everyone like a potential suspect just in case something actually does happen. Arguably even more importantly, privacy isn’t just about right now; it’s about the future, your future. You may trust how companies and corporations use your information at the moment, but what about later down the line? Laws change; governments change. What’s considered “normal” today could be viewed differently tomorrow. History has shown that personal data can be used to target or discriminate against people very easily, even if they did nothing wrong in the first place.
And here’s the biggest takeaway: privacy is about control and what you want. When your personal information is constantly being collected and stored, you lose control over everything to those who see it, how it’s used, and what assumptions are made about you. That information can shape your future opportunities, like jobs, your reputation, and even your freedom, without you ever even realizing it.
So next time someone says, “I have nothing to hide,” just remind them, privacy isn’t about hiding, it’s about protecting things you care about. Just because you’re not doing anything wrong doesn’t mean that you should be okay with being watched all the time. Because once privacy is gone, it’s almost impossible to recover and get it back.
Some things to consider and think about:
If we do accept surveillance because we “have nothing to hide,” where should we draw the line between safety and personal freedoms?
How might constant surveillance change the way people act, in person and on the internet, even if they aren’t doing anything wrong?
Who should be responsible for protecting our data that has been collected, and how can we hold them accountable if our privacy is violated or our information is leaked?