The state of being alone or hidden from public attention, or of keeping personal information secret. It means having control over who knows what about you.
From Old French *privace* and Latin *privatus* meaning 'set apart' or 'belonging to oneself'. The idea is separation from the public.
Privacy used to mean walls and doors; now it mostly means data and devices. The word is about control, not just secrecy—choosing what to share and with whom. When something is 'free', it’s often your privacy that ends up being the real price.
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