1890: Privacy is the right to be alone—the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by civilized man. (Louis D. Brandeis)
1967: Privacy is the right of individuals to control, edit, manage, and delete information about themselves, and to decide when, how, and to what extent information is communicated to others. (Alan Westin)
1998: In light of the emerging information technologies, Janet Reno (1998) said, "Improper use [of such technologies] either by law enforcement personnel or others may seriously and adversely affect a fundamental American value: privacy."
2015: We believe that people have a fundamental right to privacy. The American people demand it, the constitution demands it, morality demands it. (Tim Cook)
According to The Free Dictionary:
- In Constitutional Law, the right of people to make personal decisions regarding intimate matters;
- under the Common Law,the right of people to lead their lives in a manner that is reasonably secluded from public scrutiny, whether such scrutinycomes from a neighbor's prying eyes, an investigator's eavesdropping ears, or a news photographer's intrusive camera; andin statutory law, the right of people to be free from unwarranted drug testing and Electronic Surveillance .
University of Berkley has a two part definition: autonomy privacy and information privacy
- Autonomy privacy is an individual’s ability to conduct activities without concern of or actual observation (i.e., surveillance).
- Information privacy is the intersection of autonomy privacy and information security -- it is the appropriate protection, use, and dissemination of information about individuals.