What is a right to privacy?

The right to privacy, sometimes called the “right to be let alone,” includes such rights as the right not to have one’s personal affairs disclosed/publicized. It is supposed to prevent others from using your private affairs for their own benefit, such as by invading your home, intruding on your private affairs, or publicizing your private information (without a legitimate public interest).
Some states (such as California) have additional protection to protect consumer privacy and to protect against excessive data gathering by websites.