// Comparison
La vie privée, un problème de vieux cons ? vs Surveillance://: Which Should You Read?
Two cybersecurity books on Privacy, compared honestly: who each is for, what each does best, and which to read first.
A provocative, well-reported take on privacy in the digital age — answering the cliché that 'young people don't care about privacy' — by an investigative journalist specialised in surveillance.
A lucid, accessible case for digital privacy — how mass surveillance works, why it matters, and concrete ways to take back control — by the founder of Mozilla Europe.
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Key takeaways
- A sharp French essay dismantling the 'nothing to hide / young people don't care' clichés about privacy.
- Manach is a specialist surveillance journalist, so the reporting is grounded.
- Read it for the argument and framing; as a 2010 essay, treat the specific services as dated.
- One of the clearest French-language explanations of why digital privacy matters, written for everyone.
- Nitot (ex-Mozilla) argues from inside the open-web movement, so the alternatives he proposes are concrete, not abstract.
- Ends with practical steps — the rare privacy book that tells you what to actually do.
How they compare
We rate Surveillance:// higher (4/5 against 3/5 for La vie privée, un problème de vieux cons ?). For most readers, that means Surveillance:// is the primary pick and La vie privée, un problème de vieux cons ? is a useful follow-up.
Both books target beginner-level readers, so the choice is about topic, not difficulty.
La vie privée, un problème de vieux cons ? and Surveillance:// both cover Privacy, Surveillance, Policy, so reading them in sequence reinforces the same material from different angles.
Keep reading
La vie privée, un problème de vieux cons ?
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