Security versus Privacy

July 21, 2026 I've been thinking about this a lot lately: security and privacy are often discussed as if they're the same thing, or at least on the same team. They're not. They represent two distinct concerns, and I've come to believe one must be addressed before the other. Any computer — desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, or otherwise — stores your personal information. Security pertains to whether an unauthorized individual can access that information. Privacy, on the other hand, concerns what the company entrusted with your data does with it once they possess it. These are not the same problem, and I believe the order matters: your data must be secure before privacy even becomes a meaningful question. A privacy policy for data that has just been breached is worthless. So, when I ask myself which one matters more, I consistently arrive at the same answer: security first, then privacy. I used to be among those who avoided Google services due to privacy concerns, and I understand why.…