--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can't have democracy if we're having…" description: "\"We can't have democracy if we're having to protect you and our users from the government over stuff we've never had a conversation about. We need to kn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f6/larry-page-4715_about_we-can-t-have-democracy-if-we-re-having_3115160.png" --- # We can't have democracy if we're having to protect you and… ![“We can't have democracy if we're having to protect you and our users from the government over stuff we've never had a conversation about. We need to know what the parameters are, what kind of surveillance the government is going to do, and how and why.” quote by Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f6/larry-page-4715_about_we-can-t-have-democracy-if-we-re-having_3115160.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f6/larry-page-4715_about_we-can-t-have-democracy-if-we-re-having_3115160.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f6/larry-page-4715_about_we-can-t-have-democracy-if-we-re-having_3115160.png) > “We can't have democracy if we're having to protect you and our users from the government over stuff we've never had a conversation about. We need to know what the parameters are, what kind of surveillance the government is going to do, and how and why.” [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Transparency about government surveillance is essential for a functional democracy; citizens must know limits. **In simple terms:** We need openness about surveillance. Key Takeaway Demand clear rules on government data collection. Themes democracy privacy government accountability Mood concerned critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - tech industry - legislation - public debate Key Concepts surveillance policy civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards should exist? - How can citizens influence policy? A Different Perspective Balancing security and freedom is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) ## Related quotes > [Governmental surveillance is not about the government collecting the information you're sharing publicly and willingly; it's about collecting the information you don't think you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikko-hypponen/governmental-surveillance-is-not-about-the-government-collecting-the/) [Mikko Hypponen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikko-hypponen/) > [Closed Circuit' came out of a general anxiety about surveillance. Government surveillance and private surveillance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/closed-circuit-came-out-of-a-general-anxiety-about-surveillance/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Facebook mistreats its users. Facebook is not your friend; it is a surveillance engine. For instance, if you browse the Web and you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/facebook-mistreats-its-users-facebook-is-not-your-friend-it-is-a/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [We have always wanted Google to be a company that is deserving of great love. But we recognize this is an ambitious goal because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/we-have-always-wanted-google-to-be-a-company-that-is-deserving-of/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [As devices multiply and usage changes (many users coming online today may never use a desktop machine), it becomes more and more important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/as-devices-multiply-and-usage-changes-many-users-coming-online-today/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [Shareholders have the right and obligation to set the parameters of corporate behavior within which management pursues profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/shareholders-have-the-right-and-obligation-to-set-the-parameters-of/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [The SF genre, of course, is really an organically evolved, marketplace-determined, idiosyncratic grab bag of themes and signifiers and characters and icons and gadgets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-di-filippo/the-sf-genre-of-course-is-really-an-organically-evolved-marketplace/) [Paul Di Filippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-di-filippo/) > [Travel, I was coming to realize, was a metaphor not only for the countless options life offers but also for the fact that choosing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-potts/travel-i-was-coming-to-realize-was-a-metaphor-not-only-for-the/) [Rolf Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-potts/) > [Never let anyone define what you are capable of by using parameters that don’t apply to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/never-let-anyone-define-what-you-are-capable-of-by-using-parameters/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [The usefulness of the models in constructing a testable theory of the process is severely limited by the quickly increasing number of parameters which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-usefulness-of-the-models-in-constructing-a-testable-theory-of-the/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [I revised the parameters of my promise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-revised-the-parameters-of-my-promise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Petrol price is a deregulated commodity, price of which is decided by our oil marketing companies based on input cost and other parameters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veerappa-moily/petrol-price-is-a-deregulated-commodity-price-of-which-is-decided-by/) [Veerappa Moily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veerappa-moily/) > [I wanted to have a career in sports when I was young, but I had to give up the idea. I'm only six feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/i-wanted-to-have-a-career-in-sports-when-i-was-young-but-i-had-to/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I like to always wash the slate clean, and reinvigorate my spirit to be connected to the characters that I am doing. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giancarlo-esposito/i-like-to-always-wash-the-slate-clean-and-reinvigorate-my-spirit-to/) [Giancarlo Esposito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giancarlo-esposito/) > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) ## More by Larry Page > [One of our big goals in search is to make search that really understands exactly what you want, understands everything in the world. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/one-of-our-big-goals-in-search-is-to-make-search-that-really/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We should be focusing on building things that do not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/we-should-be-focusing-on-building-things-that-do-not-exist/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We try to, when you come to Google, fulfill that need that you have as quickly as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/we-try-to-when-you-come-to-google-fulfill-that-need-that-you-have-as/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [I do think there is an important artistic component in what we do. 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