What Are New York's Privacy Torts?

In New York, there are several ways to protect your name, image and likeness. New York's Civil Rights Laws §§ 50 and 51 arm individuals with a cause of action to protect their identity from being used commercially without authorization. While these laws do not protect all possible right of privacy claims, the laws can offer relief in many instances.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT INVASION OF PRIVACY CLAIMS?

Under §§ 50 and 51, there are four main types of privacy claims. These include the following:

• Intrusion upon seclusion – Intentionally intruding either physically or through electronic surveillance on another's private space.
• The public disclosure of private facts – Disclosing the private facts of a person's life that are not commonly known on public channels such as on a blog, website, comment or while speaking to others.