Kaspersky: If you don’t do anything wrong, you have nothing to hide – update

Internet users should not be afraid of being watched. It is useful if, for example, a search engine knows where the user is. That writes security company Kaspersky. “If you’re not doing anything wrong, you’ve got nothing to hide.”

“It’s common for people to get advice on how to remain anonymous online,” Kaspersky writes. “Complete anonymity, however, can create more problems than it can solve,” the security company said on a website aimed at students.

For example, it is very useful if a search engine knows where the user is, says Kaspersky. “Then it can give you more relevant answers.” The same applies to location services that can show relevant information with location determination. Also, the security company argues, that information can be used to track a user’s location in an emergency.

“But apart from that, there are many more reasons why you shouldn’t be paranoid and hide your location,” Kaspersky writes. “If you’re not doing anything wrong, you’ve got nothing to hide.” According to the security company, the chance is ‘virtually zero’ that an average user is interesting for an intelligence service.

Kaspersky’s message sparks disbelief. “This is totally the wrong message,” said Tim Toornvliet of Bits of Freedom. “Of course it can be helpful to share your location, but the thing is, it’s very difficult to decide for yourself what you share and don’t share. That’s why people try to remain anonymous.”

Update, 6.45 pm – According to Kaspersky, the article (cache version) in question was by an independent writer and is emphatically not about the position of the security company. Kaspersky has apologized.