Care Quote by Edward Snowden
“When you say, ‘I have nothing to hide,’ you’re saying, ‘I don’t care about this right.’ You’re saying, ‘I don’t have this right, because I’ve got to the point where I have to justify it.’ The way rights work is, the government has to justify its intrusion into your rights.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: “Snowden on Privacy” on The New York Times, 2013
Claiming no privacy rights implies ignoring the need for governmental justification of intrusion, highlighting a paradox in rights discourse.
In simple terms: Saying you have nothing to hide ignores your right to privacy.
Key Takeaway
Demand accountability for privacy violations.
Themes
privacy
rights
government
accountability
justice
Mood
concerned
critical
thoughtful
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- online activity
- legal advocacy
- public policy
Key Concepts
civil liberties
surveillance
ethical governance
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance personal privacy with security?
- What responsibilities do governments have to justify intrusions?
A Different Perspective
Rights are complex and may be limited by law.
![“[Brazil] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data sovereignty."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af7/edward-snowden-555_brazil_brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-n_14906.jpg)
![“There was a real choice when [Barack Obama] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold senior officials to account with the same laws that every other citizen in the country is held to," or "This is a nation that believes in the rule of law."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/104/edward-snowden-555_accounts_there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obam_27838.jpg)
