The Nothing to Hide Argument 

He points out many important parts about today’s world and the privacy of the American people. Solove mentions the problem of privacy affecting many more citizens than just the ones that actually have something bad to hide, but many people don't realize their privacy is being invaded daily. Solove is trying to open the eyes of the American people about how much the government tracks them and knows way more than some of us realize. The government plays a big role in deciding the rights of American citizens, but they also play a big role in everyone’s privacy.

Our every move is watched by someone in this world and we as people need to be more knowledgeable about this topic. In The Nothing-to-Hide Argument, Solove shows his work through ethos, logos, and pathos and has many examples of each throughout the entire essay.

Solove is a very credible source that many people rely on for different reasons. In the beginning of his essay he really focuses on emphasizing the use of ethics.

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He points out to his readers, “I’ve got nothing to hide… Only if you have done something wrong that you do not want people to know about then should you have something to worry about hiding from the people” (Solove, 734). This quote should help the readers notice that Solove is on the same side of many other Americans that think they have nothing to hide. This helps try and connect with the reader early on by sharing common interests with them, because oftentimes people will agree and want to hear more from a source that they share the same opinions with.

So, in this case he built a relationship early on, and this could help draw his reader in to continue reading the rest of his essay.

After Solove does a good job of pulling his audience in by using ethos; he then goes on and the next part of his essay goes on to show the logos of his argument. He brings up two more very reliable sources in the next part of his paper by using analogies. At this point he does a very good job of explaining his argument and furthering his explanation through the use of the two analogies. The first one he uses is from a man named George Orwell. George is well known for his work back in the 1940’s. George is another person who is a very well trusted source being that he was an english novelist. Solove based his first analogy off of George’s work he had done in Nineteen Eighty-Four. George’s point in this was, “the government was in control and taking over...they are starting to watch their people more and more almost to the point where it was too much” (Solove, 738). This goes to show that other people realized that the government had started watching people more and more.

Maybe the people truly did not have any privacy. The next analogy is about a man named Franz Kafka. Mr. Kafka is also a reliable source as he is a german speaking novelist from back in the 1800s to early 1900s known for his short stories. Solove points out that in Kafka’s story there is another incident of people’s privacy being invaded. Solove explains, “Kafka was arrested, but when he asked why he was arrested no one could answer the man. He then later finds out that the court system has someone that tracks people and what they do and that information then gets studied by others” (Solove, 738-739). This helps to show the american people that even if you do not volunteer to be tracked there still could be individuals out there that work for the government who are tracking your every move. There is always someone invading our privacy whether we know it or like it this does still occur. After using more credible sources to logically back up his argument of people do not realize all the information that the government keeps track of he then goes on and explains the pathos of his argument.

The pathos is the emotional side that Solove tries to get his readers into while trying to prove his point. He provides many statements that make it seem as he is trying to look out for the many people that could be affected by this throughout the many different generations. One example he uses is, “the government has been keeping track of all this data for years now and sometimes personal information can say a lot about somebody, but other times it can paint a distorted picture of who someone truly is” (Solvoe, 740-741). This shows that the government keeps collecting all these small data samples, but over time they build up and they will eventually have an idea of what kind of person you are. Solove says this in a way where he sticks up for the American citizens as it also could paint a distorted picture. His connection here is to his readers and he is sticking up for them and often times when people have someone stick up for them that is when they find that emotional connection. Solove uses many examples of trying to pull his readers into understanding his argument and uses many writing techniques while doing it.

Solves use of ethos, logos, and pathos throughout his essay helps his reader have a better understanding of what his argument, and draw them in to taking his side. The biggest thing Solove is trying to stress is that even though people think they have nothing to hide their personal information is still being invaded. Privacy is a main part in this essay and Solove defines it as, “a form of personal information and secrets as everyone has something to hide” (Solove, 741). Everyone has said at least one thing in their life that they have not wanted someone else to hear, but yet the government or the people that are tracking your mobile device heard that one thing and it could be revealed information one day. This is what Solove is trying to make clear to the American citizens who read his Nothing-to-Hide Argument. He does this in a way of appealing to the readers sense of ethics, logic, and emotions.