Online privacy: Explaining the nature and special features of the right to seek protection

This article attempts to explain and analyse the nature and characteristic features of a person’s privacy in the on‐line environment in order to assess how these features shape the need for protection. Since the internet has invaded our everyday lives, individual privacy is exposed in different ways in cyberspace. It is important to note that the Internet lacks the traditional characteristics of a ‘physical’ space, but the interests and inherent values protected by privacy remain the same in cyberspace. The article discusses the factors that shape a different nature of online privacy compared to its off line counterpart. Online privacy may not be a novel right, but it is definitely one exposed to a whole new environment which has its own special need for protection.