Importance Of Privacy

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Protecting Privacy as a Basic Right
“Now the right to life has come to mean the right to enjoy life- the right to be let alone; the right to liberty secures the exercise of extensive civil privileges; and the term "property" has grown to comprise every form of possession--intangible, as well as tangible”- Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis (Scoglio 54).
In the world today, the phrase invading privacy can be heard in a variety of circumstances and settings. The concept of invasion of privacy or intruding into someone’s personal life has permeated into new forms of technology, from simplistic Internet browsing history records to complex social networks. Advances in technology have made it increasingly easier to find and disseminate private or personal information while breaking the barriers of time and distance. In today’s world of information sharing, a photo taken in the United States can be shared in minutes with a recipient across the world in China. Society has an obligation to protect privacy as a basic individual right because personal information can be used detrimentally when in the hands of the wrong people or taken out of context, people can face discrimination based on matters in their private life, and invading people’s privacy takes away their freedom and liberty.
What is privacy? Black's Law Dictionary defines privacy as “The legally protected right of an individual to be free from unwarranted publicity and to be protected from any wrongful intrusion into private life which would outrage or cause mental suffering, shame, or humiliation to a person of ordinary sensibilities” (Hennessy 112). Privacy means to have one’s personal matters separate from public affairs, and to not be burdened by external intrusions. As time...

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...es necessary to conduct an investigation in the case of an emergency or crime. For example, if someone gets murdered, police and/or detectives should have the right to inspect all aspects of the crime scene and related evidence. It is also necessary to protect against terrorist attacks or threats. When a school receives an anonymous call threatening that there is a bomb in the building, without a doubt the facility should be thoroughly inspected by authorities. In this situation, it is reasonable for the search to include the inside of lockers and the contents on devices, if necessary. Another valid safety procedure is airport security. This includes checking bags and scanning bodies for weapons. These measures are crucial in preventing other events such as 9/11 or the bombing at the Boston Marathon. In all of the above scenarios, protecting human life is paramount.

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