Personal Information

Since the famous essay by Warren and Brandeis almost a century ago, the confusion generated by the traditional account of "privacy" continues to obstruct legal protection. This book examines the plausibilty of an alternative analysis that might facilitate a less obscure account of the problems involved and, in consequence, offer a more effective means of resolving them. The essence of the argument is that at the heart of the concern about privacy is the use and misuse of personal information about an individual. In each of the four main areas identified (breach of confidence, the public disclosure of private facts, the collection and computerization of personal data, and the intrusions upon the individual by simple or electronic surveillance) it is argued that, by locating as the core of the problem the protection of "personal information", many of the difficulties that continue to beset this area of the law might be resolved.