This document provides a listing of privacy issues that confront society, and that the Foundation addresses. It is far from complete, but substantial enough to be useful. Where possible, links are provided to background papers or resources.

Additional resources are available, as follows:

Overall Structure

The issues are listed within the following dimensions of privacy:

Privacy of the Person

This is the interest that individuals have in protecting their physical selves from interference by other people and organisations. It is sometimes referred to as ‘bodily privacy’. Topics include:

  • compulsory immunisation
  • blood transfusion without consent
  • compulsory provision of samples of body fluids and body tissue
  • compulsory sterilisation
  • biometric identifiers
  • arbitrary arrest and detention, and kidnapping
  • brainwashing
  • torture

Privacy of Personal Behaviour

This is the interest that individuals have in being able to behave however they wish, without undue interference by other people and organisations. This relates to all aspects of behaviour, but especially to sensitive matters, such as sexual preferences and habits, political activities and religious practices, both in private and in public places. It includes what is sometimes referred to as ‘media privacy’. Topics include:

  • mail surveillance (mail covers)
  • audio surveillance (eavesdropping, directional microphones, audio bugs)
  • telephone surveillance (taps)
  • visual surveillance (observation, keyhole cameras, airborne and satellite cameras), including photography and privacy
  • video surveillance / CCTV
  • harassment / paparazzi
  • unjustified publication of personal data
  • home intrusions (e.g. ‘peeping toms’, intrusive buildings)
  • workplace surveillance
  • web-usage surveillance
  • denial of anonymity
  • identity theft (correctly used to refer only to wholesale takeover of a person’s identity, resulting in gross inconvenience to them)

Privacy of Personal Communications

This is the interest that individuals have in being able to communicate among themselves, using various media, without routine monitoring of their communications by other persons or organisations. This includes what is sometimes referred to as ‘interception privacy’. Topics include:

  • audio surveillance (eavesdropping and voice-recording)
  • telephone surveillance (telephonic interception and recording, and access to telco call records)
  • calling number display (CND) and calling-line identification (CLI)
  • ISP-usage surveillance
  • email surveillance
  • e-chat surveillance (incl. IRC, ICQ, web-chat, instant messaging)
  • denial of anonymity

Privacy of Personal Data

This is the interest that individuals have in data about themselves. People expect that data about them should not be automatically available to other individuals and organisations; and that, even where data is possessed by another party, the individual must be able to exercise a substantial degree of control over that data and its use. This is sometimes referred to as ‘information privacy’; but sometimes that term is used to encompass communications privacy as well. Topics include: