An Insight Into Privacy And Personal Liberty

Anubhav Kumar Sahu, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University

Introduction

According to Black's Law Dictionary, privacy is defined as "the right of a person to be left alone; the right of a person to be free from any unwarranted publicity; the right to exist without unwarranted public intrusion in areas with which the public is not necessarily interested." The promise of "a certain private realm of individual liberty shall be preserved substantially beyond the grasp of Government" underpins the concept of privacy.

When something is private to a person, it usually means that something is inherently special or sensitive to them. The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of appropriate use and protection of information. Privacy may also take the form of bodily integrity. The right not to be subjected to unsanctioned invasions of privacy by the government, corporations, or individuals is part of many countries' privacy laws, and in some cases, constitutions.

The universal concept of personal privacy is a modern concept primarily related to Western culture, especially Britain and North America, and until recently remained virtually unknown in some cultures. However, most cultures recognize the ability of an individual to withhold certain personal information from a wider society, such as closing the door to their home.