Personal Privacy Quotes

• The personal life of every individual is based on secrecy, and perhaps it is partly for that reason that civilized man is so nervously anxious that personal privacy should be respected.

  Anton Chekhov

  Men, Civilization, Privacy

  Anton Chekhov (2010). “Five Plays”, p.5, Stanford University Press

  22 Copy quote

  Show source

• Justice [Sandra Day] O'Connor has been a guardian of the protections the Constitution provides the American people. She's come to provide balance and a check on government intrusion into our personal privacy and freedoms.

  Patrick Leahy

  Government, Justice, People

  "The Situation: Monday, January 9". The Samuel Alito Hearings, transcripts.cnn.com. January 9, 2006.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• In decision after decision on the bench, Judge [Samuel] Alito has excused abusive actions by the authorities that intrude on the personal privacy and freedoms of average Americans.

  Edward Kennedy

  Average, Judging, Decision

  Source: www.washingtonpost.com

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• There is also the issue of personal privacy when it comes the executive power. Throughout our nation's history, whether it was habeas corpus during the Civil War, Alien and Sedition Acts in World War I, or Japanese internment camps in World War II, presidents have gone too far.

  Dick Durbin

  War, Issues, President

  U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Judge Samuel Alito's Nomination to the Supreme Court, www.washingtonpost.com. January 9, 2006.

  15 Copy quote

  Show source

• Personal privacy is a closely held American value.

  Anna Eshoo

  Privacy, American Values, Values

  "More Calif. hearings on AT&T/T-Mobile to come - DoD to unveil cyber strategy today - House E&C holds privacy hearing - House Dems not pleased with GOP spectrum bill" by Tony Romm, www.politico.com. July 14, 2011.

  6 Copy quote

  Show source

• The American people must be willing to give up a degree of personal privacy in exchange for safety and security.

  Louis J. Freeh

  Giving Up, People, Safety

  "A Push for Surveillance Software". Interview with John Markoff, www.nytimes.com. February 28, 1994.

  9 Copy quote

  Show source

• With existing technology, we can enforce airport security without sacrificing our personal privacy.

  Tom Udall

  Sacrifice, Technology, Airports

  "Protecting Privacy at the Airport" by Tom Udall, www.huffingtonpost.com. February 15, 2011.

  9 Copy quote

  Show source

• The question about progress has become the question whether we can discover any way of submitting to the worldwide paternalism of a technocracy without losing all personal privacy and independence. Is there any possibility of getting the super Welfare State's honey and avoiding the sting?

  C. S. Lewis

  Independence, Progress, Honey

  7 Copy quote

• I have a passionate desire for personal privacy. I want to stand before the world, for good or bad, on the book I wrote, not on what I say in letters to friends, not on my husband and my home life, the way I dress, my likes and dislikes, et cetera. My book belongs to anyone who has the price, but nothing of me belongs to the public.

  Margaret Mitchell

  Husband, Book, Home

  Margaret Mitchell (1986). “Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the wind letters, 1936-1949”, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

  4 Copy quote

  Show source