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Talking points

Dealing with common anti-privacy arguments

How to talk to people who have negative/hostile/ambivalent attitudes about privacy Consider viewpoint/situation of person making the argument – they are not necessarily bad Maybe have not thought about topic before or are information poor Write all negative statements about privacy you can think of on post it notes Entire group responds to each one “It’s safer” argument Civil liberties/freedom argument Redirect: Would you allow cameras in your workspace? Would you give me your credit card number? Noncriminal examples: journalists, political dissidents At what point does it stop? You might not have something to hide but you have something to protect What is a crime? Point to specific instances of when surveillance in its current form did not work Mike German (former FBI): anti-surveillance advocate with ACLU – “all this surveillance is like trying to find a needle in a haystack; it’s not about solving crimes, it’s about social control” Why should criminals get all the good stuff? Point out less political things i.e. data breaches, security threat vulnerability, etc. Data is collected on everyone – how can we make it secure or reduce amount collected? Do you really trust other people with your information? Malicious intent OR ineffective data management You can’t clean up a data spill, it’s like an oil spill Law enforcement doesn’t always use data for good Ex. DHS using social media data against people at the border Aim for common ground or seeing a different viewpoint – consider alternatives to safer communities other than the “arms race” “Convenience” argument Start with validation – it IS convenient – then how does vulnerability become inconvenient Ex: it’s convenient to not have to type in your bank password, it’s incredibly inconvenient to track down your data after your identity has been stolen A little bit of inconvenience is worth it for future convenience (i.e. password manager) and security Judge who you are speaking with: Upper classes who benefit: Pitch value of security Lower classes who are harmed: you are being policed by this; offer your services/assistance Economic position threat modeling There are some small, easy changes to make that will add up Maty’s “One Weird Trick” program Have you thought about how this could go wrong for you? “Don’t Care/Why Bother/Doesn’t Impact Me” argument We’re all part of this society and you should care about others Imagine being in a position where it does impact you If everyone uses it, it normalizes the act (herd immunity) Tailored example to person you are talking to – it does impact you Do you like seeing targeted ad? Do you think your phone is listening to you? “Saying you don’t care about your privacy because you have nothing to say is like saying you don’t care about your freedom of speech because you have nothing to say” – Snowden Show ways they already DO care Credit card, social security, closing their blinds in their house at night Even if you don’t care today, you might care tomorrow Ex: DACA recipients Ex: If you are ever engaged in any kind of lawsuit, consider the invasive nature of discovery Almost everyone is related to a vulnerable community (children, teenagers, seniors) Self-care: this information is yours and is personal, you should take care of it the same way you take care of your mind/body Some things you do every day are illegal (speeding, jay walking, etc.) Book recommendation: Three Felonies A Day by Harvey Silverglate & Alan M. Dershowitz Your privacy isn’t necessarily just up to you – consider what other people put about you online, how inaccurate data could be incriminating Ex: Serial podcast “You are just a prosecuter’s attention away from chaos” “That’s Great/Wow but I’m not going/It’s cool that you care but I don’t” argument (staff focused) Institutional values – assumes that everyone is on board with library ethics 101 How can we work within institutional decisions that maybe are not in line with values? Public staff needs training or workshops – libraries 101 Good intentions – how to be helpful without undermining patron privacy Tension between customer service and privacy We are the only ones who can offer privacy as a service Develop training/print materials for staff and public training “I don’t have time/it’s too complicated/it’s overwhelming” argument “One Weird Trick” again Yeah, it is overwhelming and it sucks! And here’s where you can start Harm reduction arguments You won’t necessarily get everything but you can always start somewhere Small things add up Some solutions are not technical – take a step back Privacy is not a fixed state Something you will always work toward Like going to the dentist or working out to maintain health “Social Media/Self-Branding/Oversharing/Brand Loyalty/Popularity is Important” Argument Your data is your brand Threat model – targeted ads Ex. Surprise vacation research How much is too much? Show how much Google tracks How much of yourself are you investing into that brand or social media? Book Recommendation: How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell Cultural shift – it’s “cooler” to not share Point out the way these companies don’t adhere to the same values as you People are willing to boycott based on values and there is room to push for that Ex: Facebook higher up is BFFs with Brett Kavanaugh Is your personal brand compatible? How can you mitigate your use so that you can still use it? Create intentional spaces in the library to counteract FOMO – community building “How to lie productively” Teens know so much more about privacy skills than you expect Engage students to share their knowledge “What About-ism” Argument You will encounter this argument in any conversation about things you are passionate about Of course we care about other things, we’re just addressing this one right now Can you not multitask? Similar to the fight for rights (someone else getting rights does not take rights away from you) – caring about x does not mean you don’t care about y The thing they are trying to distract you with PROBABLY IS RELATED Privacy is essential for most other activism