Invasion of Privacy

An authoritative analysis of one of the most revered rights of peoples and cultures around the world—privacy.

Invasion of Privacy: A Reference Handbook chronicles the most pressing privacy issues and dilemmas from around the world from the 17th century to today. Shocking accounts of government and corporate abuse liven discussions of controversial topics ranging from high-tech surveillance and the collection of personal data to bodily and sexual privacy. The Internet, a platform for free speech now subject to calls for rigorous censorship, and the global threat of terrorism in the post–September 11 era receive special emphasis.

Readers will also learn about disturbing abuses of power by the FBI, including how it intercepted emails, misled the federal courts in 75 warrant applications, and contributed to wrongful arrests of more than 100 people suspected of receiving child pornography over the Internet.

• A chronology of important moments in the development of the right to privacy from the 17th century to the present
• Primary sources include a brochure from the Center for Democracy and Technology about the USA PATRIOT Act and a reproduction of a "Bust Card" created by the American Civil Liberties Union