The Constitution does not contain an explicit, general right to privacy. Instead, many of the privacy protections people enjoy have been inferred from several constitutional provisions, most notably the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. I would ask you, dear reader, how do you feel about that?

There is no blanket rule in our founding document stating that the government cannot watch you, whether in person or through modern surveillance technology. Instead, the Supreme Court has recognized that citizens possess a “reasonable expectation of privacy.” But there is no fixed, permanent definition of what society should consider reasonable. In navigating this gray area, we must keep one fundamental truth in mind: Rights are a constraint on governmental power; they are not a reward for compliant behavior.