Privacy is a person’s legally protected interest in preventing government or other intrusion into their homes; their communications (phone, e-mail, in-person); their luggage; certain compartments of their motor vehicle (glovebox, trunk); their personally identifiable information (PII); their body (hair, clothing, unexposed body parts); their image and likeness (through unauthorized use); and other information, places, and property (real and personal) in which persons have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

People generally do not have a right to privacy from being photographed or heard (if done without use of surreptitious electronic or other surveillance technologies) in public places—essentially, when they step outside of their home. There are exceptions to this general rule in which persons do have a right to privacy—such as in a doctor’s exam room or when making a phone call in a phone booth.

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects people against government intrusions into their privacy.

And state and federal laws (statutes and court opinions) generally protect persons from unauthorized use of their personal information and from intrusions into their privacy by nongovernmental persons or entities. These protected privacy interests are generally limited to areas in which persons have a reasonable expectation of privacy (home, health information, image and likeness, e-mail communications, etc.)—and these laws vary from state to state.

In Maryland, privacy is recognized as a legally protected interest, aligning with the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which safeguards individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. This protection extends to various aspects of personal privacy, including the sanctity of one's home, personal communications, luggage, certain areas of a motor vehicle, personally identifiable information (PII), physical body, and image. Maryland law, along with federal statutes such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, provides specific protections against unauthorized use of personal information and intrusions by non-governmental entities. However, the right to privacy is not absolute in public spaces, and individuals generally do not have a privacy right against being photographed or overheard in such settings unless invasive technologies are used. Exceptions exist where a reasonable expectation of privacy is established, such as in medical facilities or private conversations in secluded settings. It's important to note that while these general principles apply, the specifics of privacy rights and the reasonable expectation of privacy can vary and may be subject to interpretation by courts.