The statement is misused. It was applied to private citizens (private <--> privacy) while companies are working for the public good (hence the accountability, regulations, taxation...).
No it's not. A whistle-blower is someone who's been proven to go out of their way to be a government informant. Why would you knowingly give them access even if you think you're doing everything right? It's all downside and no upside. The original comment is using the exact same logic as "if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear". It's just that we don't care because corporate citizens do not get the same rights as actual human citizens.
I mostly agree with you (I upvoted you), but I want to push back on two things.
1. "Why would you knowingly give them access even if you think you're doing everything right?"
Depending on the circumstances, maybe I respect their integrity and character for risking their livelihood and more to expose wrongdoing?
2. "It's just that we don't care because corporate citizens do not get the same rights as actual human citizens."
They shouldn't get the same rights. They only exist to be liability shields. Unlike the people they are composed of, nothing about them deserves empathy or fundamental rights---we grant them certain rights as a matter of public policy, not principle, because it makes our economic system work, and if that were ever to change, their rights should be changed or abolished accordingly.
There's clear right and wrong, and then there are grey areas open to interpretation. There are ALWAYS grey areas. Who wants to get involved in litigating those?
For example, consider your taxes. Tax laws are always open to interpretation. You might believe you are doing everything correctly on your taxes, that the way you read the rules was correct. But would you still be undergoing a lot of stress if the IRS decided to do a compliance audit on you?
> If a company is breaking laws, they should be punished. Right?
What about that professor who pointed out that on average, most people commit 3 felonies a day? It's all a matter of what the authorities decide to prosecute.
Did you come to a full and complete stop the last time you encountered a stop sign?
I think you can make a good argument that limited liability corporations should serve the public good in return for the stockholders being shielded from financial and criminal liability. Stands to reason then that government has a right to demand something in return.