QUESTION
Is this invasion of privacy and can I sue? And if not invasion of privacy is there any legal recourse?
Asked on Oct 15th, 2014 on Civil Litigation - Georgia
More details to this question:
My ex girlfriend's mom was snooping through my ex girlfriend's email and Facebook accounts without my ex girlfriend's knowledge or permission. The mom comes across some startling information and emails me threatening to reveal the information to my friends and family unless I do certain tasks. She sends pictures of the private emails between me and the ex girlfriend to prove she has them. Is there any legal recourse for her using private conversations/information against me or for viewing them without permission in the first place?
1 ANSWER
What you are describing is not an invasion of YOUR privacy, but your exgirlfriend's. Theoretically, once you shared whatever you shared with your ex, she could have shared them with her mom, or friends, or whoever and (with rare exceptions) you, having voluntarily shared whatever with her, would have no legitimate expectation of privacy. Moreover, there are many things which I would consider an invasion of privacy, but which do not give rise to a cause of action.
Having said that, what your ex's mom is doing is extortion, which is a crime. Contact the police.
Answered on Oct 16th, 2014 at 9:52 AM