Protecting people’s privacy

I know this is a hot topic and everyone talks about it, so I would like to spend my 2 cents. This post is just to think, if you want to post your comments you’re welcome, if you totally disagree think about trying to make me change my mind.

Why should we protect people’s privacy? What is it all about? It’s hard to find a good way to start what I want to try to express. I think I am an honest citizen, I do my best to be respectful and not hurt anyone else. I can’t say I have ALWAYS respected every single rule and law. I happened to drive too fast and sometimes I haven’t payed the ticket on the subway. Said this, do I mind about protecting my privacy? Is it really a problem if a big company gets my address and sends me publicity in the mail? Is it really such a problem? WHO should I protect my privacy from? Why does people not put their name on the doorbell? Are they afraid that someone will read their name and do bad and mean things? If so then we are trying to protect our privacy from someone who wants to do something illegal against us, such as steal or hurt. Shouldn’t someone else take care of this?

A few years ago I worked in a building and we had our own door, BUT the other people living in the same building could use the same door to access their garages. We installed a camera for security reasons. A woman living in the building asked to remove the camera because she said it was against her privacy because she might want to walk through that door and did not want anyone to film her doing it. Why would she require or need that? Why would I bother to see her walk through that door unless she’s doing something she should NOT be doing? So basically are we saying that some people will take advantage of the right to protect their privacy to do illegal actions?

And now to my “problem”. 2 weeks ago someone stole my girlfriend’s bag and her cellphone was in there. Now, I can’t call the Italian operators and has (having the IMEI handy) WHO is using the phone (which was STOLEN) because that would be against their right to the privacy. So basically we’re protecting the privacy of someone who is using a phone that was stolen to me (who actually paid it!). Is it really his right to protect his privacy while using something that he got illegally?

I know that the real problem here is defining a rule that applies to anyone and to any case and that the problem in real life is that there isn’t black and white, but it’s disappointing sometimes to discover that something that should be made to make our lives better in the end “protects” who does something that is not entirely correct or completely illegal.

I know it’s a longer thing and that we can’t simply sum it up in a few words and a few lines, but I wanted to say this loud.