Law of Privacy

Privacy may be one of the most pervasively discussed issues in this decade as a result of the increased concerns for security in travel, the openness of the Internet, the consolidation of information in massive databases both by corporations and by governments, high incidence of identity theft, and the development of more and more highly sophisticated "listening and viewing" devices. This class examines privacy as protected by statute through a patchwork of privacy acts and the concomitant freedom of information requirements of a democratic government, as developed through tort doctrine in the courts, and as articulated through the Constitution of the United States and those of the various states. All aspects of privacy are considered, including wiretapping, government-required personal and business information, personal, family, and reproductive autonomy, the "right to be let alone," and the right of publicity.