What Kind of Privacy Do We Really Want?

Privacy on social media is a delicate balancing act wherein we all try to keep separate the things we want to tell the world, from the things we never want anyone to know. With millions of status updates per day some feel compelled to tell all, laying every part of us bare. Others wish they could withdraw completely.

In Japan, there’s a movement called “Himitsu Hantai” — or “Against Secrets” — in which supporters protest government secrets, like those leaked by Edward Snowden.

The idea that governments should be transparent may be ideal for many, but in practice we seem to have it backwards.