In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Privacy

  • Introduction
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Communication Privacy
by
Lemi Baruh, Mihaela Popescu
  • LAST MODIFIED: 17 April 2025
  • DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756841-0315

Introduction

Over the past few decades, privacy has become a hot-button issue. While much of the current debate on privacy focuses on the protection of data privacy in the wake of the ubiquitous datafication of individuals’ everyday lives, privacy is a much broader concept connected to individuals’ ability to control physical access and communicational flows. This article aims to provide an overview of concepts and issues related to privacy. The article will start with a historically informed summary of different approaches to the conceptualization of privacy and theories related to the functions and values of privacy. Next, the article will take a closer look at the conceptualization of privacy by addressing questions concerning the values that privacy has in contemporary societies and how these functions relate to other social goals, such as free speech, public health, or national security. Then, the article will discuss issues related to privacy in digital media. In the final section, the article will focus on current debates regarding the protection of privacy. This section will concentrate on regulatory approaches, as well as summarizing issues related to the extent to which individuals engage in privacy self-management.

Defining Privacy

Since the seminal article Warren and Brandeis 1890, (cited under Conceptualizations of Privacy) advocating for a principle safeguarding individuals’ “right to be let alone,” the concept of privacy has undergone numerous interpretations. Scholars have attempted to formulate unified theories of privacy, sought to pinpoint specific aspects related to privacy under its overarching umbrella, and tried to define privacy in terms of the values, such as autonomy, dignity, or bodily and psychological integrity, it protects. Debates about the value of privacy also brought about considerations about balancing privacy with other social values or goals. Alternatively, some have contested the idea that privacy possesses a distinct conceptual core, highlighting its contextual and pluralistic nature. This section comprises four subsections that provide a historically informed exploration of this intricate debate surrounding the meaning and values of privacy. The first subsection will offer a synopsis of select works identifying facets of the privacy concept. The second subsection will summarize conceptualizations that focus on the values of privacy. The third subsection will focus on debates about balancing privacy and other social values. The fourth subsection will summarize works that advocate the need to develop a situated, comparative understanding of privacy.

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