Walking down the street, no matter how ridiculously hot you are, you can expect that you can keep on the clothing you choose to wear. Even if every passer by wants to see you naked. You may choose to wear long sleeves or a tank top. That is your choice.

If you go to a house of worship you’ll probably dress more respectfully, if you are in a private institution you may be asked to put on a jacket (you may leave if you don’t want to wear it), and when you go to the beach you might wear a bikini or speedos.

What you choose to cover up or reveal is a choice you make based on your comfort level, the context of where you are, and your beliefs. But you expect that what you choose to wear, may not be liked, but that choice will be respected.

If you are in a private home or institution, the owners have a right to ask you to leave if they don’t like how you are dressed. But they don’t have the right to force you to take off your clothing without your consent. That is assault.

If you would like to go into a public institution there are fears that you may be trying to smuggle contraband in, and you may be searched. In that situation your privacy is being compromised; however, being part of society you are relinquishing that right to an extent to ensure everyone else’s safety. It’s part of the Hobbesian social contract. That is with the assumption that you are giving up only what is necessary and you will be searched with the minimum necessary violation.

We feel so violated by TSA because our privacy when traveling is being violated wantonly, with unnecessary excess. The same goal could be reached with smarter, better trained, better paid individuals, and less abuse.

When I joined Facebook it was like a trendy club that all my friends went to. I dressed accordingly. I sought out my friends, and the people I wanted to become my friends. I dressed my sexiest. And acted accordingly.

Then Facebook announced that the footage from the security cameras in the joint would be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Now I still visit Facebook, because everyone I care about is there. But it’s more like going to your third-cousin’s wedding, to which you have no idea why you were invited, and neither do they.

Sure there are many people there that you know and love dearly. But there is also that distant great aunt who rented you her apartment and upped the rent 40% year over year. Oh yeah, and that lying tattletale colleague is there too. Didn’t you notice? And everything you do or say will be used to SPAM YOU.

I went to the club I so enjoyed called Facebook, and It turned out I was inappropriately underdressed.

That was Facebook.

“What do I have to hide?” they said, when Prism was leaked. “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.”

What if I don’t want to walk down the street naked? I don’t fear it, I AM ridiculously good looking. But I like wearing clothing.

I like sending an email to a specific person, and know that it is going to them, and not to prying eyes.

The NSA will claim that their surveillance to falls under the protection of social contract. But that is only true in theory. The fact that some talented high school dropout contractor can look up anyone tells me they did not build the tech with proper checks, regardless of who formally has to sign off.

There is clearly no consent when everything is placed under a gag order, and everything is collected. That isn’t protecting us, it’s straight out abuse.