Which tort involves the public disclosure of private facts about the plaintiff?

Which tort involves the public disclosure of private facts about the plaintiff?

• A. Libel
• B. Defamation
• C. Invasion of Privacy
• D. Slander

Answer: (C)

Invasion of privacy is the tort that protects personal information from public exposure. The specific form described—public disclosure of private facts—occurs when someone publicly reveals intimate or confidential details about the plaintiff that are not of legitimate public concern and would be offensive to a reasonable person. Even if the disclosed facts are true, such a revelation can be actionable because the issue is the invasion of personal privacy, not the truth of the statements. Defamation, by contrast, centers on false statements that harm someone’s reputation. Libel and slander are the written and spoken forms of defamation, respectively, and deal with false statements about a person’s character or conduct rather than the public sharing of private, sensitive facts. Thus, the scenario described fits invasion of privacy.

Invasion of privacy is the tort that protects personal information from public exposure. The specific form described—public disclosure of private facts—occurs when someone publicly reveals intimate or confidential details about the plaintiff that are not of legitimate public concern and would be offensive to a reasonable person. Even if the disclosed facts are true, such a revelation can be actionable because the issue is the invasion of personal privacy, not the truth of the statements.

Defamation, by contrast, centers on false statements that harm someone’s reputation. Libel and slander are the written and spoken forms of defamation, respectively, and deal with false statements about a person’s character or conduct rather than the public sharing of private, sensitive facts. Thus, the scenario described fits invasion of privacy.