Name: Why privacy matters
Uploaded: 2014-10-10T13:11:03Z
Duration: 20 min 28 s
Description: Glenn Greenwald was one of the first reporters to see -- and write about -- the Edward Snowden files, with their revelations about the United States' extensive surveillance of private citizens. In this searing talk, Greenwald makes the case for why you need to care about privacy, even if you're "not doing anything you need to hide."

Glenn Greenwald: Why privacy matters

Why privacy matters

Glenn Greenwald was one of the first reporters to see -- and write about -- the Edward Snowden files, with their revelations about the United States' extensive surveillance of private citizens. In this searing talk, Greenwald makes the case for why you need to care about privacy, even if you're "not doing anything you need to hide."

Privacy is a universal human need that shapes how people express themselves, even in mundane moments like singing alone. Large-scale surveillance does not merely target criminals but creates a culture of conformity and self-censorship for everyone. As secret monitoring becomes the norm, creativity and dissent retreat, and society’s freedom quietly erodes. Even those who claim not to care about privacy still instinctively guard it in their daily lives.