Right to privacy

The right to privacy protects the personal sphere, family life, home, correspondence, identity, reputation and, in modern law, personal data. It limits surveillance, searches, disclosure of information and intrusive publication. In Switzerland, privacy protection arises from constitutional guarantees, data protection law, civil personality rights, criminal law safeguards and international human rights commitments. The right is not absolute: interferences may be justified by lawful authority, public interests such as security or law enforcement, or the rights of others, provided they are proportionate. Privacy is especially important in digital environments, where profiling, automated processing and cross-border data transfers can affect autonomy and dignity. It also balances with expression, media freedom and transparency.