Privacy vs. Transparency: Part 1

This is in response to numerous articles about privacy, and specifically Facebook privacy.

I am going to be the devil's advocate here.

I don't think most of us have any privacy anyways.  Our data is out there, whether we like it or not, and whether we post it or not.  The person who wants badly enough to get your information can and will.

I have had this thought in my head for a while now, but haven't had time to write about it.  I think what is really going on is a massive transformation from a private world to a transparent world - and the benefits outweigh the risks.

I firmly believe that much/most of the "evil" in the world happens because of "privacy".  What I mean by that is that people who commit misdeeds have an inherent need to keep that information private.  Yes, it is mixed in with those who fear others who would harm them - but that too is a transparency issue.

Let me explain. 

Those that fear oppression want privacy - so their enemies cannot learn what they say or do, where they are physically located, etc.  But, the oppressors are clearly the "evil" party, and often they are organized and demand secrecy and censorship.  When they are exposed, they can be held accountable, and it is a deterrent to their clandestine activities that harm others.

It's one thing to fear a burglar finding your address on the internet and breaking into your home, it is quite another to have cameras broadcast their burglary in real time, and transmit their face to police.  If the burglar has reason to believe that there is no way to hide their criminal activity, they are less likely to even attempt it. 

I guess what I am saying is that privacy and transparency cut both ways.  I believe we are trending towards a transparent world, where our lives are increasingly being recorded and broadcast with and without our knowledge.  I openly speculate about whether the effort to go backwards into a private world is regression, and whether succumbing to the trend towards transparency is lunacy. 

For myself, I'll speak for my own experience.  In 1997 I made a conscious decision to speak out publicly about legalization of Hemp and Marijuana.  I gave up my privacy in order to spread the truth in the midst of widespread lies about the subject, and devoted my entire livelihood to the effort.  My perspective was that I knew of thousands of people in my life who agreed with me IN PRIVATE, but were deathly afraid of their boss, pastor, parent, peer groups, etc finding out where they really stood.  This, in turn, negatively affects the movement towards legalization, as true supporters actually hide their support out of fear of reprisal - and they falsely believe they are in the minority because so many others are hiding their beliefs as well.

The process of escaping a social stigma is a long hard road.  Ask anyone who is attracted to the same sex.  While we statistically knew for many years that a large population was homosexual, the fact that so many kept it "in the closet" meant that those who would choose to abuse those individuals were empowered by their choice of "privacy" vs. "transparency".  In this case, as in many others, the choice to hide a true state of being (whether it is a discretionary choice or an innate state of being) actually works counter to the collective long-term interest of the group: acceptance by the wider society.

I understand these are difficult choices for some individuals to make, but in my life, a choice to be open and transparent has been the best.  Therefore, I can't say that I agree with a push to be more private in the 21st Century digital age. 

I believe the future success of our culture and species involves a transformative process by which we become collectively more honest, open, and accountable for our actions.  I believe that as long as organizations, corporations, institutions, and governments are held to the same standards of transparency, in the end we have world where people knowing where you live, what your favorite things are, your birthday, and even who you are related to becomes an asset, not a liability.