Why do libertarians say there is a "right to privacy"?

[Anarchist420]

The govt should not be allowed to spy on citizens because govt is illegitimate but individuals don't have a right to privacy from one another IMO.

Fortunately, the ever-brilliant Dr. Block agrees [Link].

 

[Patranus]

The government isn't spying on anyone.
What you have are citizens freely giving corporations private information and those corporations sharing it with the government. That isn't spying.

 

[ivwshane]

I thought everyone says there is a right to privacy? When did it become a libertarian thing?

 

[mikeymikec]

The government isn't spying on anyone.
What you have are citizens freely giving corporations private information and those corporations sharing it with the government. That isn't spying.

I'll have to remember that excuse the next time a corporation sends bin-divers out for marketing purposes.

If third party data access isn't opt-in, it's spying.

 

[Patranus]

I'll have to remember that excuse the next time a corporation sends bin-divers out for marketing purposes.

If third party data access isn't opt-in, it's spying.

Its opt-in when you sign up for a service like Gmail.
Its opt-in when you use a service like Google Search.
Its opt-in when you freely post something to Facebook.

 

[mikeymikec]

Its opt-in when you sign up for a service like Gmail.
Its opt-in when you use a service like Google Search.
Its opt-in when you freely post something to Facebook.

I agree entirely, but your post hardly serves as a counter to the point I was making. I guess you were making an implication, the point of which was the same as the point you initially made, so I'll try again:

It's opt-in when you let a friend in on something private and personal.

It's not opt-in when that 'friend' lets a lot of other people know about it without your permission.

In the context of Google/FB/a.n.other corporation, the expectation/implication of privacy stems from a number of factors, including a security mechanism which is supposed to ensure that you alone can access your account (or the provider of the account can if they absolutely have to in order to continue providing the service).

 

[Smoblikat]

The govt should not be allowed to spy on citizens because govt is illegitimate but individuals don't have a right to privacy from one another IMO.

Fortunately, the ever-brilliant Dr. Block agrees [Link].

Towards the end he sounds like a socialist.......