Honestly, I would say privacy is a big deal for me because there are just too many things happening presently in the world that make me feel like some things are better kept to myself.
Now the question is, would I give the government access to my daily life just because of security? For me, that is something I do not think I can easily agree to because if there is one thing I have come to understand, it is never to trust people too much.
The truth is that I do not think I can comfortably allow anybody watch everything I do, know where I go, what i eat or even have access to how I live my life all because they say it is for security reasons.
The reason is that i believe that it can later turn into something else entirely. I could give them access today, believing it is for a good reason, and before I know it, that same information could be leaked or used against me. That is the part that makes it hard for me to trust that kind of arrangement because i am aware that once my privacy is gone, then it would be very hard to get back.
Now, there was once a story I read online where a guy's girlfriend shared his location online, and that was how he ended up being targeted and killed. Ever since I saw that story, it has stayed in my mind because it made me realize how dangerous little information can become when it gets to the wrong people. If something as simple as location can lead to such a serious thing, then giving full access to my daily life is something I can not just agree with no matter what.
I believe such a thing can also happen in this kind of situation because once people have access to your private information, there is always a chance that it can be exposed one way or another.
Another thing is that governments themselves are not always trustworthy. These are people that can do anything just to attain a position, so when I think about that, it becomes difficult for me to believe that an ordinary citizen like me would be fully protected if they have access to everything about my life.
Moreso, I do not think I would even be able to share my opinion freely again if I know I am being watched closely. In this current situation of Nigeria, where many people openly speak against the government, complain online, and even talk about elections, I feel that freedom would be taken away if they access to our private lives. I can freely express myself now because i know no one is watching every move i make.
But if I know they can easily monitor everything I do, then naturally, I would begin to hold back because I would not want anything I say to later become a problem for me. In fact, in this kind of situation, I do not think I would be able to voice out anything peacefully because there would always be that fear that I could easily be dealt with later for going against them.
At the end of the day, no matter how important security may sound, I still do not think I can trade my privacy for it because privacy is something very personal, and i believe once it is lost, it can affect many parts of a person's life. For me, I would rather be careful with my personal information than give full access and later regret it.
Thanks for reading.
