https://www.youtube.com/shorts/n8kaYAsSXYI

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The right to Privacy is derived from human dignity. This is why we wear clothes, have locks and use passwords.

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Every human being has both public and private aspects of their life. While different societies may draw the line between the two in varying ways, the fundamental human right remains the same: the freedom to choose what parts of ourselves we share and with whom.

Importantly, privacy is not about prohibiting the sharing of information; rather, it is the right to control what we share, when, and with whom. Privacy grants us the agency to decide which aspects of our personal lives we reveal to others, empowering us to set our own boundaries.

We express ourselves differently depending on whether we are talking with our parents, our spouse, our colleagues or a stranger on the street. Having privacy is the precondition for making up our own mind about important decisions, informing and educating ourselves about important life decisions or freely assembling to express our political views. A lack of privacy leads to a loss of elements of our personality.

Edward Snowden exposed as an NSA Whistleblower the extend of modern indiscriminate mass surveillance.

Studies show that individuals who know or expect they are under surveillance tend to behave differently, often trying to conform to expectations and self-censor their behavior. An overall lack of privacy can have a chilling effect on society at large that sniffles freedom of expression and innovation. Democracy and liberal freedoms ultimately depend upon a level of privacy that empowers the individual to act freely.

“We know that surveillance has a chilling effect on freedom. People change their behavior when they live their lives under surveillance. They are less likely to speak freely and act individually. They self-censor. They become conformist. This is obviously true for government surveillance, but is true for corporate surveillance as well. We simply aren’t as willing to be our individual selves when others are watching.”

Bruce Schneier “How Surveillance Inhibits Freedom of Expression”

A core aspect of privacy involves the intimate areas of a person’s life including bathroom use, sexuality, health information, and political beliefs. Often, these core areas of privacy enjoy higher protections because infringements against them can have severe consequences for the individual and a chilling effect on society as a whole.

Panopticon

A warning example from history is the Panopticon. Jeremy Bentham developed this idea for the design of the most effective prison. The concept is that all inmates are housed in cells surrounding one central tower with a prison officer. Each corner of the cell is observable by the prison guard. However, the windows of the tower are shaded so that inmates can never be certain if they are actually being watched.

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Surveillance is built on information asymmetry. Always ask who watches the watchers.

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This leads to an information asymmetry between the many inmates and the one controlling entity, which leads to a power imbalance that enables social control. This conceptual idea of the 19th century was actually built in Cuba in the 20th century and housed political prisoners.

The concept of the Panopticon enables effective control by eliminating inmates' privacy.

A modern illustration of this power imbalance is the case of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s home in Palo Alto. While his business empire profits from surveilling and monetising the personal data of billions, he purchased four neighbouring properties to enhance the privacy of his own residence.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg purchased the neighbouring houses to protect his privacy.

This Human Rights Handbook to the right to respect private and family life offers great examples and can be a helpful resource.

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