Invasion of Privacy commonly refers to the violation of the right to privacy initially granted by the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which states “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 4th amendment grants protection against searches and seizures conducted by the government only, not private citizens.
The Patriot Act
The government’s freedom to monitor citizen activities increased under the Patriot Act, enacted following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York. The Patriot Act created the new crime category of “domestic terrorism” and granted increased powers of surveillance to various government agencies and bodies.
Other laws were enacted or strengthened along with the Patriot Act allowing the government increased surveillance of foreign entities and greater abilities to investigate and prosecute the financial supporters of terrorism. In 2006, the Patriot Act was reauthorized with increased civil liberties protections.