USA

The 4th Amendment and our Expectation of Privacy

The 4th amendment insists on ” The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
The expectation of privacy includes no seizure without a warrant, provides the foundation for businesses, and is the reason why the Privacy Act was created. Let’s continue on this journey and see how privacy has impacted our society.

The 4th Amendment states that their should be no violation without probable cause. No one should be forced to give up their privacy unless a situation and a warrant are issued. This is important to ensure that people are not forced to give up private information. It states that only if there is probable cause and a warrant is issued, private information shall remain private. Now that we have covered what the 4th amendment stands for we can discuss how business is conducted under this amendment.

Businesses are required to follow the 4th Amendment. When you are hired for a position with a business or company, they cannot violate your privacy unless they have probable cause. If your boss has probable cause they can have you prosecuted or fired, but they cannot violate your privacy. The 4th amendment also protects the privacy of the business, only needing to share information with employees on a need to know basis. Now that we have covered the 4th Amendments influence on businesses, we can begin to understand why the Privacy Act was created.

The expectation of privacy goes past the 4th Amendment today and lies in every household in America. Most people are unfamiliar with the 4th Amendment or only think about it on an authority level. The 4th Amendment is the reason why the Privacy Protection Act was created and reinforced today. People want their information protected and they want to feel safe especially on the internet. Today, consequences are paid for any breech in the expectation of privacy thus, instilling the basic foundation of the 4th amendment in today’s society.

Most people we’re simply unaware that the 4th amendment influenced the creation of todays Privacy Act. The expectation of privacy includes no seizure without a warrant, provides the foundation for businesses, and is the reason why the Privacy Act was created. The next time you think of the Privacy Protection Act, remember that our forefathers set it up in the 4th Amendment in the Constitution of United States.