Why Privacy Matters Even If You Have Nothing To Hide Analysis

Nowadays, “privacy” is becoming a popular conversation topic. Many people

believe that if they do not do anything wrong in the face of technology and security, then

they have nothing to hide. Professor Daniel J. Solove of George Washington University

Law School, an internationally known expert in privacy law, wrote the article Why

Privacy Matters Even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’, published in The Chronicle of

Higher Education in May of 2011. Solove explains what privacy is and the value of

privacy, and he insists that the ‘nothing to hide’ argument is wrong in this article. In the

article, “Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’”, Daniel J. Solove

uses ethos, pathos, and logos effectively by using strong sources, using emotional

For example, ate

the beginning of the article, Solove uses third person to show his authority before he

states his argument. He admits that the argument is strong, and he also wants to show that

the “nothing to hide argument” “stems from certain faulty assumptions about privacy and

its value” (Solove) Third person helps him to establish a sense of authority because using

third person means that it is not his own opinion; it is objective. In addition, Solove

shows his responsibility of his argument through the use of active voice. For example,

“regardless of whether we call something a ‘privacy’ problem, it still remains a problem,

and problems shouldn’t be ignored.” (Solove) This statement tells readers that privacy is

a severe problem. In addition, using active voice helps Solove to strengthen his

credibility and shows his authority to readers.

In addition, the transition of personal pronoun does not only help Solove to

establish his ethos, but also help him to strengthen his pathos. When Solove uses “we” in

the article, he wants to define his position. He wants to show that he and readers are