Symposium: Privacy before Privacy Law - Law and Humanities in Dialogue for a Digital Age

Painting of a woman reading a letter, facing and open window. Behind her is a painting of a naked angel. In front of her is a bed with colorful sheets and a bowl of fruit on top of it. In the right side of the painting is a long green curtain.
Johannes Vermeer, Brieflezend Meisje bij het Venster, c. 1657–1659. Source: https://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/girl_reading_a_letter_by_an_open_window.html#top

What does the history of privacy tell us about its legal present and future?

This symposium brings together leading scholars from law, history, theology, philosophy, literary studies, and related disciplines to explore the historical foundations of privacy and their relevance for contemporary legal and societal debates. At a time when accelerating technological change is reshaping the conditions under which privacy is experienced, claimed, and regulated, understanding the deeper historical trajectories of privacy has become more important than ever.

Spanning a broad chronological range from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century and beyond, the symposium examines how concerns for privacy emerged, evolved, and were contested long before the formal articulation of a legal right to privacy in the modern era. Through the analysis of legal, theological, philosophical, literary, and political sources, participants will investigate the diverse ways in which privacy has been understood, negotiated, protected, or suppressed across different historical contexts.

Rather than treating privacy as a fixed or self-evident concept, the symposium seeks to uncover the normative cultures that have shaped changing distinctions between public and private spheres. Particular attention will be given to the historical legacies that continue to influence contemporary privacy law, governance, and social practices.

By placing present-day debates in a longer historical perspective, the symposium aims to generate new insights into the meaning, functions, and value of privacy. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing discussions about how privacy should be conceptualized, protected, and reimagined in an age of profound socio-technological transformation.

Find the full program for the symposium here.

In-person participation only. Please register here to participate.

This symposium is organized by assistant professor Paolo Astorri (PRIVACY) and professor Patrick O’Callaghan (University College Cork), and hosted by Centre for Privacy Studies (PRIVACY), University of Copenhagen.