A Critical Analysis Of The Right To Privacy

Asmita Srivastava, BBA.LL.B., Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad

Part-I

1. Introduction

The term Privacy, has been through many definitions along the line of time and is still dynamic as ever. Broadly speaking the term, privacy is the concept of creating and managing boundaries to protect ourselves and our information (usually sensitive in nature) from unwarranted interference and to be able to express ourselves selectively.

Privacy has been a topic of discussion all over the world with its definitions and applications. People have different opinions when it comes to discussing what comes under privacy and what doesn’t. This term has different meanings to everyone. For someone to know where an actor lives, is not a big deal, but if someone is to know where one specific person lives without that person divulging the details, is terrifying and considered invasion of privacy. Which is why privacy is a topic that should be threaded carefully, without being insensitive to the needs of any individual or a group.

Privacy is also largely dependent on choice of the person. Hence a common governing right to protect a citizen’s privacy is brought into existence. This enables the judicial system to protect the citizens from unjustified publishing of information about someone, without their consent.