Privacy as a concept is broader than security and means different things in different contexts. It can be physical, informational, organizational, spiritual and intellectual. Different people, cultures, and nations have varied opinions / expectations about how much privacy a person is entitled to or what constitutes an invasion of privacy.
Personal Information (PI) is generally defined as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. It may be referred to as personal data, personal information, non-public personal information, etc. Examples include, but not limited to, Name, Address, Date of Birth, Telephone Number, Fax Number, Email Address, Government Identifier (e.g. PAN Number, PF account number, etc.), Account Number (Bank Account, Credit Card, etc.), Driving License Number, IP Address, Biometric Identifier, Photograph or Video Identifiable to an Individual and any other unique identifying number, characteristic or code.
With the growth of digital age, more and more personal information of consumers, citizens finds its way into massive databases held by the private sector, and the governments. Access to data in such databases raises three social concerns that drive the issues of privacy. These include individuals’ fears about:
how personal information is used or shared;
how it is protected; and
who is accountable?
Definition of Privacy
Year
Definition
1890
Right to be let alone – Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis – in response to newspapers intruding someone’s life
1940
Internationally regarded as a fundamental civil liberty
1948
Universal Declaration of Human Rights contains a paragraph on privacy
1950
European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms includes a clause on Privacy
1967
Modern definition of ‘privacy’ is “the claim of individuals, groups, or institutions to determine when, how, and to what extent information about them is communicated to others”
