What to say when people tell say, "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear".

Just say “OK, so give me the password to your email account.”

Person: (invariably) “Erm… no. Why?”

You: “I just want to read your email.”

Person: “What??”

You: “Don’t worry, I’m not going to DO anything, just read it. I’ll read it in front of you if you’re worried.”

Person: “No way!”

You: “Why not? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE??”

Person: “No! It’s not dodgy, it’s just private!”

You: “Well, send it along when you’re ready. As a wise person once told me, ‘If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.’”

I’ve run this line for about 3 years and surprise! So far I have received zero passwords.

If letting someone read your email makes you uncomfortable, just imagine what that’s like on an automated, mass scale.