Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right

In Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017), a nine-judge Constitution Bench unanimously declared the right to privacy a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Court held that informational privacy (the ability of an individual to control the dissemination of personal information) forms a core component of the right to privacy. Any restriction on this right must satisfy the three-part test: (1) it must be backed by law, (2) it must serve a legitimate state aim, and (3) it must be proportionate to the objective sought.