Essay: The Inconvenience of Right to Privacy and National Interest

This essay explores the complexities surrounding the right to privacy and its impact on national interest and security. It addresses the inherent right to privacy, the importance of national security, and the constitutional positions on privacy. The essay argues that while the right to privacy is crucial, it cannot be absolute due to the state's need to protect itself and ensure the peaceful survival of its citizens. It also discusses the benefits of transparency and the potential for reducing online harassment through state intervention. Furthermore, the essay highlights the dangers of privatizing public information and advocates for constitutional amendments to restructure the right to privacy, concluding with a reflection on the controversial nature of this right.

Running head: INCONVENIENCE OF RIGHT TO PRIVACY
Inconvenience of Right to Privacy
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1INCONVENIENCE OF RIGHT TO PRIVACY
The maintenance of the universal rights of the people is of utmost importance to all the
liberal countries of the world. For this purpose, the various nation states have instituted the
mechanism of government which helps to ensure the fulfillment of these rights and freedoms
(Schulhofer, 2016). This essay seeks to address the thesis statement that the right to privacy and
the implications of this right for the people within the context of security and protection of
national interest of a nation state.
Natural right to right to privacy - Right to privacy refers to the inherent right of the
people to do as they please as long as it does not abridge the rights or freedoms of other
individuals. The right to privacy is guaranteed basically against the institution of the state as it
the state itself which has the power to interfere in the personal lives of the people (Shahin, 2017).
The main debate surrounding the right to privacy is whether the agency of the state should have
the freedom to provide this right to the people in its absolute nature or can the state interfere with
this right without the prior approval of the people.
Importance of right to privacy - The maintenance of the rights that are guaranteed to the
people are important but so is the achievement of the national interest of the state. It is the very
existence of the state that guarantees the peaceful survival of the human race (Benn, 2017). If the
state were to be destroyed, the human beings would consequently fall back to the natural order
where they lived in anarchy and chaos. As a result, it is vital that the institution of the state
should be given enough power and authority to protect itself. It is for this sole reason that the
right to privacy cannot be granted to the people in its entirety.
Constitutional position on right to privacy - Moreover, if there is no privacy among the
individuals of the state then it would prove to be beneficial to the media outlets as transparency
of the government officials would be guaranteed. Their professional and personal life would

2INCONVENIENCE OF RIGHT TO PRIVACY
become a matter of public scrutiny and any discrepancies can be brought to the lime light
immediately. The First Amendment of the American Constitution provides for the freedom of the
people. This does not mean that they can engage in any activity which might adversely affect the
freedom of another individual.
My argument is that the power of the state to interfere in the freedom of the people would
also lead to the reduction in the cases of online harassment. The freedom to use the virtual forum
can be abridged by the mechanism of the state where the people involved can track the
whereabouts of the person engaging in such criminal offence (John & Peters, 2017). Moreover,
there is a danger of privatizing public information. Information should be freely available to
everyone who wants to utilize it. Privatizing such information would mean curtailing this right.
As a result, the Constitution should be amended to restructure this right.
In conclusion it is observed that among the rights which are guaranteed to the people, the
most important right is the right to privacy. In my personal opinion this right is quite
controversial in nature and there exists many debates surrounding this issue.

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References:
Benn, S. I. (2017). Privacy, freedom, and respect for persons. In Privacy and personality (pp. 1-
26). Routledge.
John, N. A., & Peters, B. (2017). Why privacy keeps dying: the trouble with talk about the end of
privacy. Information, Communication & Society, 20(2), 284-298.
Schulhofer, S. J. (2016). An international right to privacy? Be careful what you wish
for. International Journal of Constitutional Law, 14(1), 238-261.
Shahin, E. (2017). Is WiFi Worth It: The Hidden Dangers of Public WiFi. Catholic University
Journal of Law and Technology, 25(1), 7.