Privacy is frequently discussed as an issue violating article 12 of the universal declaration of human rights. The right to privacy and protection from unreasonable searches. While intrusions into privacy such as data retention (discussed in the EU and recently in the US) are often discussed with this vantage point there is a second point where increased surveillance (especially in digital spheres) conflicts with the universal declaration of human rights. This argument is nicely elaborated for US constitutional law in Daniel Soloves Book Nothing to Hide (amazon). Here I'll briefly introduce the argumentation.

Increased surveillance, especially when pooled together and constantly analyzed for outliers, has massive psychological effects. After 9/11/2001 US government agencies made large efforts to gather insight into groups of political activists. Allegedly undercover cops were sent especially to things like open meetings and vegan potlucks to gather information on activist groups. Trying to engage politically in the rare free time I had in the US I often witnessed the results of these information: Self censorship. Many ideas openly discussed in less "radical" circles in Europe are banned from discussion within closed groups. Little or no mobilization is done outside the groups and thus no information about what is going on is reaching interested citizens. Thus members of political groups rarely make use of their right to freedom of speech.

Article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights grants the freedom of opinion and expression as well as the right to seek and receive information. With increased surveillance of communication this right is weakened. If people fear visiting certain websites or talking to certain people might bring them into focus of more intensive searches or even declare them suspect, they will not seek information. Automatic analysis of communication profiles can not tell you the intentions of a person. Nevertheless it bears the risk for each individual to be tagged as a potential criminal and to be included in further investigations. Thus people will refrain from using their right to free speech and the right to gather information.

Reduction of privacy and increased surveillance is not only inferring with freedom of speech, it is also acting normative. It targets people who behave, look or think differently. Thus it will reduce the overall diversity in a given population and make us even less tolerant. This is the true terror in all the terror-legislations now discussed or already transformed into law: Make people fear to speak up against things that are wrong. Make them fear to stand up for the weak. Make them fear to use their rights to voice dissent.

Let's not be terrorized by those who pretend to protect us from terror. Let's not shut up and stand up against a society normed by the powers of surveillance.