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ARTICLE · 14 MARCH 2023

The evolution of privacy in a digital world

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the concept of privacy is far from universal and can mean very different things to different people.

AustraliaPrivacy
Tony Vizza
Tony Vizza
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Privacy in Australia is generally perceived as a straightforward notion aligned with our society's rights and freedoms.

Yet from a global perspective, the concept of privacy is far from universal and can mean very different things to different people.

Beliefs and legal constructs around privacy issues - from freedoms within one's personal life to the right to free speech - vary greatly across cultures. These differing interpretations are rooted in ancient history and times when formative ideas of privacy diverged according to a society's cultural, heritage, religious and socio-economic influences. The strength of these resultant beliefs is evident in the many anchoring legal systems of privacy in most countries around the world today.

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