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 Rhode Island, 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 a person's home, communications, personal property, and personally identifiable information (PII), among other areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. For instance, Rhode Island law prohibits unauthorized access to computer systems, which would include unauthorized access to someone's emails. The state also has laws against identity theft, protecting PII. However, in public spaces, there is generally no right to privacy from being photographed or overheard, unless surveillance technologies are used without consent. Exceptions exist where an expectation of privacy is recognized, such as in medical facilities or private conversations in enclosed spaces like phone booths. Additionally, Rhode Island has specific statutes that address the unauthorized use of a person's image or likeness, often referred to as 'right of publicity' laws. These laws vary by state, but they typically prevent the unauthorized commercial use of an individual's persona. It's important to note that while the Fourth Amendment protects against government intrusions, state and federal statutes provide the framework for privacy protections against non-governmental entities and individuals.