--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Relying on the government to protect your…" description: "\"Relying on the government to protect your privacy is like asking a peeping tom to install your window blinds.\" — John Perry Barlow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/john-perry-barlow-9208_asking_relying-on-the-government-to-protect-you_1693713.jpg" --- # Relying on the government to protect your privacy is like… ![“Relying on the government to protect your privacy is like asking a peeping tom to install your window blinds.” quote by John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/john-perry-barlow-9208_asking_relying-on-the-government-to-protect-you_1693713.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/john-perry-barlow-9208_asking_relying-on-the-government-to-protect-you_1693713.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/john-perry-barlow-9208_asking_relying-on-the-government-to-protect-you_1693713.jpg) > “Relying on the government to protect your privacy is like asking a peeping tom to install your window blinds.” [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relying on the government for privacy is absurd because it trusts a voyeur to protect you. **In simple terms:** Government privacy promises are unreliable. Key Takeaway Trust,, not state. Themes privacy trust government surveillance Mood cynical skeptical Type political satirical When to use this quote - online activity - personal data - legal reforms - activism Key Concepts libertarianism social contract Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals safeguard privacy without state help? - What alternatives exist to state surveillance? A Different Perspective Government may lack incentives to protect privacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-protect/) [Peeping Tom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peeping-tom-284363/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Privacy Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy-like-1025767/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Protect Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect-privacy-914118/) [Relying Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relying-government-523977/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Window](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/window/) ## Related quotes > [Um, lots of people grab my ass. I'm actually starting to get this thing now where people grab my package. That actually happened once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/um-lots-of-people-grab-my-ass-i-m-actually-starting-to-get-this-thing-2/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [I'm allowed to maintain some modicum of privacy. But also, I would like not to be picked apart or for people to observe when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sia/i-m-allowed-to-maintain-some-modicum-of-privacy-but-also-i-would-like/) [Sia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sia/) > [The ability of businesses to monitor our behavior is already a fact of life, and it isn't going away. Of course we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/the-ability-of-businesses-to-monitor-our-behavior-is-already-a-fact/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [We need to and must protect privacy. But I think that people will be willing and even eager to share medical information about themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-soon-shiong/we-need-to-and-must-protect-privacy-but-i-think-that-people-will-be/) [Patrick Soon-Shiong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-soon-shiong/) > [I fiercely protect my privacy. I just don't think it's everyone's business to know every little detail about my life. That's just the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/i-fiercely-protect-my-privacy-i-just-don-t-think-it-s-everyone-s/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [It is my belief that industry and government around the world should work even more closely to protect the privacy and security of Internet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/it-is-my-belief-that-industry-and-government-around-the-world-should/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Sharing with just your friends doesn't protect your privacy. I know the people at Facebook will disagree and argue that users can control what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-parr/sharing-with-just-your-friends-doesn-t-protect-your-privacy-i-know/) [Ben Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-parr/) > [It's a uniquely American thing that we as individuals not relying on government but we as individuals pitch in to make our communities better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-bush/it-s-a-uniquely-american-thing-that-we-as-individuals-not-relying-on/) [Neil Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-bush/) > [All things being equal, letting people make decisions for themselves will produce smarter outcomes, collectively, than relying on government planners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/all-things-being-equal-letting-people-make-decisions-for-themselves/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [The underlying issue is the system of capitalism itself, and under this system the best means for regulating or checking their power is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/the-underlying-issue-is-the-system-of-capitalism-itself-and-under/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [The people of America at some point are gonna have to realize that relying on government to fix everything is foolhardy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-people-of-america-at-some-point-are-gonna-have-to-realize-that/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“As Charles Stewart Parnell called out during the Irish rent strike campaign in 1879 and 1880: It is no use relying on the Government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sharp/as-charles-stewart-parnell-called-out-during-the-irish-rent-strike/) [Gene Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sharp/) > [“But what sort of population are we going to have, one which expects the government to take care of them for the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-west/but-what-sort-of-population-are-we-going-to-have-one-which-expects/) [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) > [“in Eastern Europe computer privacy is like cleanliness in America: next to godliness. “So”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-eastern-europe-computer-privacy-is-like-cleanliness-in-america/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“In my book, privacy is like a great pair of high heels. To be cherished.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-my-book-privacy-is-like-a-great-pair-of-high-heels-to-be-cherished/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by John Perry Barlow > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [“the first responsibility of a human being is to be a better ancestor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/the-first-responsibility-of-a-human-being-is-to-be-a-better-ancestor/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Our universities are so determined to impose tolerance that they'll expel you for saying what you think and never notice the irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/our-universities-are-so-determined-to-impose-tolerance-that-they-ll/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [You do not know our culture, our ethics, or the unwritten codes that already provide our society more order than could be obtained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/you-do-not-know-our-culture-our-ethics-or-the-unwritten-codes-that/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [The real issue is control. 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