IP: Re: Britain's sad decline of liberty a warning for U.S.: Dan Gillmor on Technology Thu Jul 05 15:15:09 EDT 2001

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 18:08:42 -0700
> From: Brad Templeton <brad () templetons com>
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
> Cc: david_m_barrett () yahoo com
>
> Mr. Barrett is not alone in wondering why some people are so concerned
> about their privacy.  While many are aware of the tremendous prices
> that some have paid in oppressive (and even non-oppresive) states due
> to lack of privacy and surveilance, most people pragmatically feel that
> these oppressive regimes are either in the past, or not an issue for
> those in the free world, not when compared to safety from crime.
>
> There is a great hidden cost to surveilance, however, and it is a
> cost paid by everyone.   When we feel we are being watched we, feel
> less free.  We censor ourselves, and refrain from otherwise perfectly
> legal activities, when we feel that our activities might be being watched,
> or worse, recorded either for the government or for the general public,
> or worst of all, our mothers.
>
> I include our mothers because I expect all of us understand the freedom
> one feels away from even our own families.  Not that we're doing anything
> wrong.  Just that when we're watched we want to meet other's expectations.
>
> In other words, we're all a bit shy.
>
> Cameras everywhere make us feel our public lives are being documented.
> We've never minded the random strangers who might see us on the urban
> street.  We do mind the idea that goverments and companies and others
> might be making systematic recordings.  When we are watched we are not
> free to be ourselves.
>
> That doesn't shut down what everybody approves of, but it does chill
> the counterculture, and those ready to explore.  These explorers are
> vital to a healthy society.
>
> Oddly, this happens even if the cameras aren't on, or if what they
> see is only available to "trusted" officials.



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