The P Word

GCSB, spying, privacy - a favourite topic amongst journalists at the moment. Here are some of my thoughts on privacy (privacy in general, not just in relation to the government spying on us through the GCSB.

Where did this idea of privacy come from? To me it seems that privacy, at least in the sense that that word is usually used these days, is a 21st century invention. What happened to the days when people knew their neighbours and everyone knew everything about everyone else in their community? How did we get from there to such an individualistic world where anyone can see a picture of what you had for lunch but your neighbours don't know your name and nobody knows you are suffering from PTSD after that earthquake or plane crash you were in?

It seems rather hypocritical to be sharing so much with social media and at the same time fiercely defending the right to privacy. You have a right to privacy. You exercise it by not sharing certain things with social media. If you don't want people to know you have a boyfriend yet, don't post pictures of the two of you on facebook. You can choose how much you share and who you share it with. If people readily shared more than just superficial stuff on social media would the p word be mumbled about so much whenever there's a hint of something deeper on social media? And if you do start sharing less superficial stuff you'll be less likely to be hidden or de-friended by people who get annoyed by your 20 meaningless facebook posts a day.

I know people argue that they don't want the government to know much about them but again, you choose how much you put in public spaces and unless you've done something the police could charge you for why do you care if the government sees stuff? Then the argument continues to say that they don't want the government to use stuff against them. A very valid point if this were China or somewhere in the Middle East. If our government did start using peoples' facebook posts against them we might have bigger things to worry about - like how to get rid of such a government and all the other bad things a government that has no problem with using social media against people might be inclined to do to its people.

ps. this doesn't mean I've shifted to the right and support the GCSB Bill. I'm against the Bill, partly because there are still many unanswered questions, partly because the government has refused to listen to the multitude of criticism, partly because I don't like National, partly because it's reactionary legislating rather than properly thought out and investigated legislating, and partly because it's unclear which other governments information will be shared with and what they will do with it.