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The Gradual Erosion of the Right To Privacy
PeteV writes "There is an interesting article on the BBC's website based around research carried out by Dr. Kieron O'Hara of Southampton University. He points out that under British law, an individual's right to privacy is being eroded by the behavior of those who have no qualms about broadcasting every intimate detail of their life online (via social networking sites) because the privacy law is predicated in part upon the concept of a 'reasonable expectation of privacy.' I think his request 'for people to be more aware of the impact on society of what they publish online' is likely to fall on deaf ears, but in effect what he is saying is that the changing habits of the world-wide community of social networkers is likely to have an effect upon English law and how it is interpreted. Given that the significant bulk of social networkers are American, this might mean 'American behavior' could cause changes in the interpretation of English law (which is not to say English people don't also post their intimate details on Facebook)."
It is bizarre that corporations are "persons" because of the timing of a SCOTUS clerk's stenography.
But the fact people are losing rights as the corporate "person" is gaining them is hazardous to human health.
Orwell: "In a Time of Universal Deceit, telling the Truth is a Revolutionary Act"
Except that the law explicitly does not work how you seem to think it does.
If you do something in public, you have no right to privacy with regards to that act.
You only have the right to privacy where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. The reasonable expectation bit is the relevant one here, since "reasonable" changes over time.
You will also note that the "intellectual property" you seem to be conflating here doesn't even exist as a licensable type of property. Are your personal details copyrightable? Nope. Patentable? Nope. A trademark? Perhaps, but it's not exactly private. Trade secrets? Plausibly, but trade secrets don't get any protection from law.
After all, I am strangely colored.
So, what does this mean for the other people who live on.in Britain? You know, the Welsh, the Scots, the Irish etc.
Wales and Northern Ireland follow English law, Scotland has its own (broadly similar, but with a few very important differences). Ireland is not part of Britain, and has its own court system (although FWIW I believe it is similar to England)