1. Privacy and personal data

1.1 Origins of the right to privacy

The concept of the right to privacy dates back to the 19th century. Until then, the boundary between private and public life was simple and natural: it was the confines of the home. What happened inside the home was private, while what happened outside the home could eventually become known to others. This status quo was gradually shattered by the conjunction of two significant societal changes: the advent of mass media and the democratization of photography. A photographer who is invited into a person's home, or who enters or approaches it, can now capture images of family or intimate life and,...