I once heard someone say this: In a surveillance state, you’re not the one who decides if you have something to hide.
this post was submitted on 18 May 2026
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Tell them you regularly hide your disgust for people that trade privacy for convenience behind polite disdain.
In the world we are moonwalking towards, how can one express a political viewpoint (and remember, everything is political) whilst not experiencing the fear of reprecussions, or them truly happening (losing a job, being set aside, violence including potentially fatal, etc)?
Because these idiots who dont care about privacy are currently "winning", havent you heard ? Orange turd sandwhich is winning so much.
I ask them for their banking or social media passwords. Then use the exact same arguments back at them.
Install a camera in their living room
You may not have anything to hide right now, but who knows what people will think in 10 years, or who will be in power, or what a hiring manager may think after looking at your socials. When you post something on the internet, it's like you're screaming it on your front porch through a megaphone while all your neighbors are recording.
I used to hold the same opinion, but that changed after hearing a report that Facebook knows more about its users than their own IRL loved ones. That was sad, creepy, and dystopian at the same time. While I still don't think my online activity would ruin my life if it got out (I don't even use profanity) I still silo my online activity from my meatspace self as much as possible.
That they underestimate how much they have to hide. I know a few that actually have much more to hide than me.
People project. A lot.
People who do shit like this are usually the ones who have something to hide, and throw out the guilt by casting blame/suspicion on others.
Every cheater/liar/bastards I ever knew, always was 'vigilant' about enforcing the rules and making big public declarations about how people who do that are horrible and they'd never do it. And they always did.
The people who have shit to hide are the ones who go around being hostile and accusatory to others.
"I like to close the bathroom door when I'm taking a shower. Doesn't mean I'm doing anything immoral in there. I'm just entitled to privacy."
They can extrapolate from there if they've got two brain cells to rub together.
In what context?
edit: in that case I'd say "Yeah, I do!".
added. Is this enough or do I need to clarify deeper?
Privacy is important because laws and "normal" can change. What might be normal and legal today, could become illegal someday. Then suddenly all your data that used to describe you as a boring normal person, now describes you as a "domestic terrorist"
I think of those people the same way they think of me when I say “what’s that? Is that a sports team? I don’t care about any of that.”
Well shit, now you're in a list.
Unfortunately, I've been on the list for a long time, well, at least not in the list of Epstein's files.
I used to be one in my stupid youth. I was so naive. So I tell them they're naive and there's no such thing as fair trial.
I do not understand how the [American] people in my life that say this are the same people who thought Biden et al were the ones who were going to imprison people for beliefs. I'm lying. Of course I get it. The surveillance state is currently (appearing to) work for them because it's The Others^TM that are getting hurt.
It doesn't really fix anything or change anyone's mind, but I have to find some amusement, right? That group overlaps with Cloud-based doorbell camera usage. "what's the name of your wifi? I mean there's only 4 in range and _____ is the strongest, so probably that, right?.... No I don't need the password. I wanna see something. Can you to bring this doorbell to the shower with you?"
I don't think I'm evil for arguing against the surveillance state.
I also can't do shit with their camera.
I have nothing I want to put on display. Who's more suspicious, the one keeping his curtains closed, or the ones insisting I keep them open so they can peek in.
Also, during a more philosophical discussion on a similar topic, I found myself saying that I cannot guarantee that any legal stuff I do today will stay legal, and I don't trust any government to not retroactively criminalize something they have me on the logs for.
Whoever says that should provide you with their government identification, credit card numbers, and full personal medical history. Oh, and especially their browser history. Mobile and pc.
They have nothing to hide, right?