{"id":353480,"date":"2016-04-04T10:46:59","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/injury\/torts-and-personal-injuries\/invasion-of-privacy.html"},"modified":"2023-08-03T14:24:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T19:24:00","slug":"invasion-of-privacy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/torts-and-personal-injuries\/invasion-of-privacy.html","title":{"rendered":"Types of Invasion of Privacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Types of Invasion of Privacy<\/h1>\n\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

An invasion of privacy occurs when there is an intrusion upon your reasonable expectation to be left alone. There are four categories of invasion of privacy lawsuits.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Let’s say you accidentally leave a personal letter containing private information on a public park bench. That letter is picked up and read by someone else. Even if the sharing of this information damages your reputation or causes other personal injury harm, it is not a violation of your privacy. That requires a\u00a0“reasonable expectation of privacy,”<\/a>\u00a0which would apply if the letter were not left out in public.<\/p>\n

But let’s say you’re having a private conversation in your home, and a neighbor uses an electronic device to eavesdrop. If this wrongful act causes injury, your expectation of privacy has been violated. This is because you have a reasonable expectation that your neighbor is not using surveillance on your home.<\/p>\n

Through common law, or law created over the history of court rulings rather than through statutory code, judges have developed rules to protect the private lives of individuals. This article covers the four main types of invasion of privacy claims, an\u00a0intentional tort<\/a>\u00a0primarily controlled by state laws.<\/p>\n

The four main types of invasion of privacy claims are:<\/p>\n

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  1. Intrusion of Solitude<\/li>\n
  2. Appropriation of Name or Likeness<\/li>\n
  3. Public Disclosure of Private Facts<\/li>\n
  4. False Light<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The following information explores these types of claims (causes of action) and examples of invasion of privacy law cases. If someone violated your privacy rights, a defamation lawyer<\/a> can help you consider your legal options.<\/p>\n

    Intrusion of Solitude<\/h2>\n

    Intruding\u00a0upon another’s solitude or private affairs<\/a>\u00a0is subject to liability if the intrusion is considered highly offensive to a reasonable person. This tort (wrongful act) is often associated with:<\/p>\n