Abstract

The so-called privacy differs from the secret, from a legal point of view, due to its marked orientation to the protection of information and personal spheres of the individual, rather than to safeguard public, plural or collective/class interests. These are new fundamental and inviolable rights that evolve rapidly, adapting themselves to threats which are coming from technological and media development, but also, upstream, ancient rights arising from the essential needs of each human being, to protect the intimacy, the private sphere, the correct external representation of the Self. No more focused on mere confidentiality, the right to privacy has been transformed over time into personal data protection, that is, in rules for protecting information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, even when this information is publicly accessible and non-confidential. In the artificial era, of Big Data and the Internet of Things (and bodies), of the digital subconscious and of neuro-technology, this discipline proves to be crucial in defense of all the human beings. Privacy and protection of personal data, merging together material and immaterial dimensions, will arise as augmented rights in defense of mental freedom, dignity and identity of the individual, but also of his/her physical integrity in the totally interconnected world.