The Center for Technology and Democracy has published a flier on Six Reasons Americans Should Care About the Privacy and Security of Their Personal Data Held by the Government.
The privacy and security of government data can seem abstract and disconnected from our everyday lives. But Center for Democracy & Technology polling results reveal that these issues resonate deeply for millions of Americans and cut across partisan, racial, and regional divides — 74 percent of Americans worry about the personal data that the government has about them. Protecting the privacy and security of personal data held by the government:
Here’s an abridged list of their six reasons:
- Limits government surveillance and discrimination by enforcing strong privacy protections. Government agencies are unique in both the extent and sensitivity of the personal data they collect and the power they could wield by using this information. As a result, the United States has several long-standing privacy protections that are aimed at limiting the federal government’s ability to collect, share, and consolidate personal data.
- Supports rightful access to public benefits and services by preserving trust in government. A core function of many government agencies is to deliver services and benefits to the American public, part of which entails identifying and removing barriers to accessing these services and benefits. Failing to protect personal data or using it for purposes beyond program administration can result in fewer people accessing benefits and services to which they are legally entitled, resulting in an American public that is more sick, less educated, unhoused, and undernourished, among other negative societal outcomes.
- Prevents identity theft and saves taxpayer money by minimizing risks of potential data breaches and other misuses of data.
- Enables trust in government agencies to safely use and handle personal data.
- Limits government power by safeguarding information from federal overreach.
- Maintains individual autonomy by preserving people’s control over their own information. The U.S. Constitution emphasizes the importance of privacy from government intrusion, demonstrating that this country was founded on the basis of protecting individuals from undue government encroachment.