Good day, people of Hive! Welcome to my blog. Today's topic is from Hive-Learners, which says: Privacy or Security? So let's dive in.
Honestly, this topic is not as simple as it sounds. I mean, who doesn't want to feel safe all the time? Knowing that nothing bad can happen to us because the government is always watching us to protect us every time. Even before someone thinks of hurting us, the government is there to prevent it from happening. But when we sit down and think deeply, giving up our privacy completely just to be protected is something that sounds like a very big deal.
When we say privacy, it means keeping our personal matters to ourselves, things we don’t want people to know, even things we hide from our family. But now, trading our privacy just to be protected means giving them control over our lives. That means when we eat, sleep, walk, talk, or even do the smallest things, the government will know everything because they will be monitoring our lives and movements.
Sometimes we complain about our parents wanting to know everything going on in our lives, now imagine the government knowing everything. That means we have sold ourselves to the government just because we want to be protected. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the government won’t be there to protect us whenever we are in danger, but letting the government know everything about us is something that sounds like a big deal to me.
Even when we are doing nothing wrong, there is something uncomfortable about knowing that every move we make is being monitored. Imagine not being able to have a private conversation with a friend, or even sit quietly alone without feeling observed. That kind of life can start to feel like a cage, even if it is meant to protect us.
If anyone has watched the movie called G20, played by Viola Davis—her name in the movie was Danielle Sutton, and her role was the President of the United States. She had a daughter named Selena. The reason I mentioned this movie is because Selena felt so suffocated with security monitoring her every move all the time. That’s why she sneaked out and escaped from her bodyguards—she felt frustrated with them always wanting to know her every move.
Now, on the other hand, security is also very important. We all wish to live in a place where we don’t have to constantly worry about danger. We all want to be protected. If giving up some level of privacy could reduce crime, prevent attacks, or help the government respond quickly to threats, then it might seem like a good idea. If we ask many people, they will say that safety comes first because without life, privacy does not even matter at all.
Now, the question is: if the government has complete access to everything about us, that power can be misused. Even if the government starts with good intentions to protect us, there is no guarantee it will always stay that way. Let us not forget that leaders change. Don’t forget that before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu became president, it was Muhammadu Buhari who governed Nigeria. Just because Buhari may have tried to protect Nigeria from bandits and other crime to happen doesn’t mean Tinubu will do the same, leaders change. The reason I mentioned the two is that not all leaders will respect the rights of the people. What starts as protection can slowly turn into control.
In my opinion, there has to be balance. The reason is, do we know that despite all the monitoring, problems can still happen? Crime may reduce, but it will still be there and not disappear completely. So we might end up losing our privacy without even getting perfect security in return. Just like I said, there has to be a balance. There should be clear rules and respect for people’s rights.
In conclusion, privacy is part of what makes us human. It gives us dignity and freedom. Security is important, no doubt, but it should not come at the cost of losing ourselves completely.
This is my entry for the Hive Learners Weekly Featured Contents Week 212 Episode 01.
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