We’re abandoning the listicle format to talk about online privacy law.

The U.S. Constitution doesn’t say a word about privacy. That’s right: there’s no inalienable right to confidentiality – online or off.

Well, an academic could expound on the topic, but for this guide, suffice it to say that privacy and free speech can sometimes slam into each other. How? Think of it this way: Free speech is the right to voice fair, truthful opinions without fear of legal retribution or government censorship. So, if the government enacts broad privacy measures, a potential corollary effect is restrictions on speculation — a slippery slope to censorship, to be sure.

Now, does that mean you can’t sue your scoundrel ex, who, without permission, posted “intimate” pictures of you online? In most cases, you can. Revenge porn laws exist for precisely that reason. Plus, some state statutes allow for actions over the publication of unauthorized private information. For example, celebrity “Hulk Hogan” won a high-profile online privacy case, which toppled a media conglomerate.

A few federal statutes, however, govern user data protection for certain categories. Everyone must follow standards laid out in the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act; e-health services are tied to HIPPA’s privacy parameters; financial transactions must comply with the Financial Modernization Act (a.k.a., the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act). NOTE: California also has a complement of online privacy laws, which commercial websites accessible in the state must follow.