You need honest information
In this blog entry, I want to remind you of one more reason why privacy matters: Freedom of information.
One of the first defenses against tyranny is the free flow of information. Put bluntly, an open Internet is a real hassle for the ruling thugs of the world. That is why they try to shut it down. That’s also why they try to silence the loudest voices: Journalists.
I’ll be honest and tell you that I think most journalists are hacks, more concerned with their own careers than with accuracy. I’ve been personally involved with several major news stories, they got it wrong every time! But, that said, there are good journalists, and it is a terribly important vocation.
Take a look here to see a recent story about journalists in jail. Perhaps a few of them deserve it, but not most.
This is critical, because if you don’t know what is going on, you cannot react properly, and the thug rulers will be effective. Even the simply control-oriented will face situations where the normal restraints have been removed and they will quickly go farther than they should.
If privacy is eliminated “even under the justification of fighting a legitimate evil” the consequences are huge. Not only will the merely neurotic control-types go way too far, but tyrants start to approach a zero-negative-feedback situation.
There are many ways of catching and killing terrorists, and they should be followed vigorously, but eliminating privacy should remain off-limits. Not because it is some sort of sacred ideology, but because it is a fundamental mechanism of freedom, safety and life. When freedom is removed, all governments take the road toward tyranny. Some faster, some slower, and some not all the way — but all inevitably follow that road.
Why Privacy Matters
Let’s start with a clear statement:
Where privacy can be eliminated, it will be eliminated.
The truth is that some people have a deep psychological need for control, and these people are driven to politics and law enforcement in huge numbers. They may not be in the least malicious, but they see the world as something that is just about to unwind into a situation worse than death.
Economists believe in spontaneous order. Scientists talk of self-ordered systems. People with the control bias do not see such things; they see chaos, and they fear it. These people will always have a set of reasons to invade privacy, some of which will sound very good prior to analysis.
Because such people tend toward positions of control and power, it is doubly important that the elimination of privacy remains outside of their reach.
Again, where privacy can be eliminated, it will be eliminated. That is simply the nature and history of human government - approaching 100% completeness. In some places - like North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and the like - this can mean death. In other places - like Western democracies - it can mean harassment, seizures, and, occasionally, jail.
This is not to say that harassment, jail and murder will happen all of the time or even most of time. But it will happen a certain number of times. This creates many problems:
First, it really sucks if it’s you or someone close to you that gets stuck.
Secondly, it intimidates hundreds, thousands, and even millions of others, who will avoid the activities that are being punished.
Thirdly, it gives the people implementing the penalties a feeling of power and effectiveness. They’ll want more of it.
For all these reasons privacy must be maintained.
“But what,” say many, “of terrorists and thieves?” This is especially asked to privacy services such as ours.
Well, criminals can certainly take advantage of privacy services to hide their sins, but that is possible in all forms of communication. Mail is seldom examined, and can be written in code anyway. Telephone conversations can be encrypted and can use code. (Think of mob bosses: “Didya take care of that thing?”) And so on. These guys do not need email and instant messages, although some of them certainly use them.
Beyond that, we will not protect criminals that use our system. The design of our system makes them almost impossible to trace - even internally - but we’ll help put terrorists in cages any way we can.