Constitutional Protection of Patient Privacy in the Digital Age during a Health Emergency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71239/jicl.v2i3.216Keywords:
Patient Privacy, Social Media, Constitutional Right, COVID-19 Pandemic, Health EmergencyAbstract
This study aims to analyze the protection of patient privacy in the digital space in Jordan, focusing on the impact of social media on individuals' health data and assessing the adequacy of the current legislative framework. The study contributed to clarifying the scope of constitutional and legal protection of patients’ right to privacy in the relevant legislation against violations committed through social media platforms. It also analyzed the Defense Order on protecting the privacy of COVID-19 patients and highlighted the psychological impact of violating their privacy. This study employs a doctrinal legal research method that relies on a legislative and constitutional analysis approach to Jordanian privacy law. The results showed that privacy is no longer confined to traditional dimensions but has extended to the digital space, which represents an integral part of personal identity. The study also demonstrated that social media provides an environment vulnerable to health data violations, exposing patients to defamation and social stigma. Although Jordanian legislation provides constitutional protection for privacy, it lacks effective enforcement tools to address digital violations. This study concludes that developing a modern legislative system with clear controls over digital responsibility and raising legal and social awareness are crucial amid numerous violations of patients' constitutional right to privacy, especially during a health emergency. The study recommends that the legislature adopt more effective oversight, accountability, and remedial mechanisms when digital rights are violated, thereby enhancing the state’s ability to protect health privacy amid digital transformation.
Downloads
References
Abuanzeh, Amal A., and Muhammad Alshurideh. “Cyberspace and Criminal Protection of Privacy in the Jordanian Legislation Under the Corona Pandemic: A Comparative Study.” In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Systems and Informatics 2022, 540–57. Cham: Springer Cham, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20601-6_45.
Ahmed, Ben Issa, and Ben Al-Akhdar Mohamed. “The Right of Privacy for a Patient with Coronavirus Between Protection and Violation.” Researcher Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 13, no. 1 (2021): 191–202. https://asjp.cerist.dz/en/article/149342.
Al-Aslami, Talal Faris. “Protecting the Civil Rights of Patients in Law in Light of the Saudi Systems.” Journal of Legal and Economic Studies 11, no. 2 (June 1, 2025): 741–815. https://doi.org/10.21608/jdl.2025.386748.1529.
Al-Assaf, Shatha Ahmad. “Protecting Right to Privacy in Jordan in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Restrictions and Guarantees.” Cogent Social Sciences 11, no. 1 (December 31, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2445166.
Al-Billeh, Tareq. “Legal Framework for Protecting the Right to Private Life in the Digital Space: The Extent to Which Jordanian Constitution and Legislation Takes into Account International Requirements.” Revista de Investigações Constitucionais 11, no. 1 (July 30, 2024): 258. https://doi.org/10.5380/rinc.v11i1.90631.
Al-Kasasbeh, Rashid O. M. “Violation of the Right to Privacy Via Electronic Means.” Political Science & Law Series 4, no. 2 (2025): 232–43. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.59759/law.v4i2.797.
Al-Maaddawi, Mohammed. “Protection of Users’ Informational Privacy through Social Media Networks – A Comparative Study.” Journal of the Faculty of Law and Sharia in Tanta 33, no. 4 (December 1, 2018): 1926–2057. https://doi.org/10.21608/mksq.2018.30623.
Al-Mutairi, Noura H. “The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age as Expressed in a Muslim Country: A Case Study of Kuwait.” Arab Law Quarterly 38, no. 1–2 (June 9, 2022): 110–37. https://doi.org/10.1163/15730255-bja10108.
AlAashry, Miral Sabry. “A Critical Analysis of Journalists’ Freedom of Expression and Access to Information While Reporting on COVID-19 Issues: A Case of Selected Arab Countries.” Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 20, no. 2 (2022): 193–212. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-06-2021-0066.
Aldabbas, Ali Mohamed, Kamal Jamal Alawamleh, and Worud Jamal Awamleh. “Jordan’s Commitment towards Compulsory and Free Basic Education as a Constitutional Right: An Analytical Field Study.” Arab Law Quarterly 34, no. 4 (July 23, 2020): 356–86. https://doi.org/10.1163/15730255-BJA10049.
Ali, Aliya Ali Zakaria. “The Protection of Sensitive Medical Personal Data Based on the Development of the Right to Health: A Comparative Study.” Rouh Al-Qawanin Journal 35, no. 104 (September 14, 2023): 111–342. https://doi.org/10.21608/las.2023.230939.1160.
Aljazi, Jehad D. “The Right of Local Government Employees to Expungement of Disciplinary Offences Processed Digitally in Jordanian and Qatari Legislation.” Legality : Jurnal Ilmiah Hukum 33, no. 1 (November 25, 2024): 20–43. https://doi.org/10.22219/ljih.v33i1.36212.
Aljunidi, Saif Ziad, Farah Alshanik, Ahmad Aqeil Alzaqibh, and Hazem Suleiman Toubat. “Constitutional Constraints on Jordan’s Defense Law: A Covid-19 Case Study.” Malaysian Journal of Syariah and Law 13, no. 2 (August 31, 2025): 339–64. https://doi.org/10.33102/mjsl.vol13no2.1152.
Almutairi, Noura Hezam. “Shedding Light on the Inadequate Protection of Internet Users’ Right to Privacy under Kuwaiti Law.” Yearbook of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law Online 23, no. 1 (January 9, 2024): 3–46. https://doi.org/10.1163/22112987-20230054.
AlOmran, Nayel, Ibrahim Aldarmaki, Noor Alhendi, and Hisham Al-Kasasbeh. “Constitutional Safeguards of Rights and Freedoms Amid Criminalization and Punishment: A Comparative Legal Study.” Petita: Jurnal Kajian Ilmu Hukum Dan Syariah 10, no. 2 (July 29, 2025). https://doi.org/10.22373/petita.v10i2.917.
Alraggad, Mishael Mohammad. “Improving Criminal Law in Jordan: Challenges of Our Time.” International Journal of Religion 5, no. 9 (June 3, 2024): 1072–80. https://doi.org/10.61707/ndqa6a73.
Altaani, Diala, Abdullah Ehjelah, Shaima Bani Amer, and Hamzeh Abu Issa. “Virtual Justice: Navigating the Challenges of Remote Testimony at the International Criminal Court.” International Journal of Criminal Justice Science 19, no. 2 (2024): 15–26. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19202.
Alubaidi, Abeer Hassan. “The Human Right to Privacy in the Digital Revolution.” Journal of Jurisprudential and Legal Research 44, no. 44 (January 1, 2024): 1073–1134. https://doi.org/10.21608/jlr.2024.254785.1333.
Alwirfili, Nahla. “The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age.” Al-Haq Journal for Sharia and Legal Sciences 14 (December 2, 2024): 139–57. https://doi.org/10.58916/alhaq.vi.242.
Anggono, Bayu Dwi, and Fahmi Ramadhan Firdaus. “Handling of the Covid-19 Pandemic by the Government in View From the Legal Products Formed.” Trunojoyo Law Review 5, no. 1 (March 20, 2023): 18–40. https://doi.org/10.21107/tlr.v5i1.19410.
Ayoub, Samy. “The Egyptian State as a Muǧtahid: Law and Religion in the Jurisprudence of the Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court.” Arab Law Quarterly 38, no. 5 (June 21, 2022): 579–608. https://doi.org/10.1163/15730255-bja10119.
Balto, Ahmed Salah El-Din. “Human Rights Binding Standards in Digital Health Applications.” Arab Journal for Security Studies 39, no. 2 (December 31, 2023): 164–74. https://doi.org/10.26735/IBCW7901.
Bani Salameh, Mohammed Torki, and Azzam Ali Ananzah. “Constitutional Reforms in Jordan: A Critical Analysis.” Digest of Middle East Studies 24, no. 2 (September 27, 2015): 139–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/dome.12068.
Bhattacharjee, Maushumi, Chris Kaposy, Maura R. Grossman, and Zack Marshall. “Patient Photographs on Google Images: A Commentary on Informed Consent, Copyright, and Privacy Laws.” Law, Innovation and Technology 15, no. 2 (July 3, 2023): 536–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/17579961.2023.2245684.
Boon, Robert M A van der, A John Camm, C Aguiar, E Biasin, G Breithardt, H Bueno, I Drossart, et al. “Risks and Benefits of Sharing Patient Information on Social Media: A Digital Dilemma.” European Heart Journal - Digital Health 5, no. 3 (May 20, 2024): 199–207. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjdh/ztae009.
Bublitz, Christoph. “The Body of Law: Boundaries, Extensions, and the Human Right to Physical Integrity in the Biotechnical Age.” Journal of Law and the Biosciences, 2022, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsac032.
Craig, Wendy, Meyran Boniel-Nissim, Nathan King, Sophie D. Walsh, Maartje Boer, Peter D. Donnelly, Yossi Harel-Fisch, et al. “Social Media Use and Cyber-Bullying: A Cross-National Analysis of Young People in 42 Countries.” Journal of Adolescent Health 66, no. 6 (June 2020): S100–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.03.006.
Dendane, Bakhta. “Constitutional Protection of the Right to Health.” Journal of Law and Sustainable Development 12, no. 11 (November 21, 2024): e4147. https://doi.org/10.55908/sdgs.v12i11.4147.
Frei Fitri Astuti, and Laila Nur Jannah. “Flexibility in Accessing Legal Information Through Social Media and Its Implications for Law Enforcement.” Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law 2, no. 1 (March 5, 2025): 23–36. https://doi.org/10.71239/jicl.v2i1.37.
Frosio, Giancarlo, and Christophe Geiger. “Taking Fundamental Rights Seriously in the Digital Services Act’s Platform Liability Regime.” European Law Journal 29, no. 1–2 (January 21, 2023): 31–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/eulj.12475.
Gstrein, Oskar J., and Anne Beaulieu. “How to Protect Privacy in a Datafied Society? A Presentation of Multiple Legal and Conceptual Approaches.” Philosophy & Technology 35, no. 1 (March 29, 2022): 3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-022-00497-4.
Hilal, Ghofran, Thawab Hilal, and Mohammad Al-Fawareh. “Misinformation and the Demonization of Human Rights: The Jordanian Child Rights Law.” Cogent Education 11, no. 1 (December 31, 2024). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2329417.
hilat, Baha’ aldeen Al, and Jehad D. Aljazi. “The Impact of Job Rotation on the Constitutional Rights of Public Employee: A Comparative Study.” An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities) 39, no. 2 (February 2025): 81–90. https://doi.org/10.35552/0247.39.2.2321.
Hulkower, Rachel, Matthew Penn, and Cason Schmit. “Privacy and Confidentiality of Public Health Information.” In Public Health Informatics and Information Systems, 147–66. Cham: Springer Cham, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41215-9_9.
Jaafar, Araram, and Mohammedi Badr El-Din. “Legislative Development from the Right to Private Life to the Right to Privacy.” Journal of Law and Political Sciences 9, no. 2 (2023): 142–54. https://asjp.cerist.dz/en/article/238959.
Jain, Ankit Kumar, Somya Ranjan Sahoo, and Jyoti Kaubiyal. “Online Social Networks Security and Privacy: Comprehensive Review and Analysis.” Complex & Intelligent Systems 7, no. 5 (October 1, 2021): 2157–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40747-021-00409-7.
Jalghoum, Yaser, Asem Tahtamouni, Sahar Khasawneh, and Amro Al-Madadha. “Challenges to Healthcare Information Systems Development: The Case of Jordan.” International Journal of Healthcare Management 14, no. 2 (April 3, 2021): 447–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2019.1658159.
Kramer, Greg M., Julie T. Kinn, and Matt C. Mishkind. “Legal, Regulatory, and Risk Management Issues in the Use of Technology to Deliver Mental Health Care.” Cognitive and Behavioral Practice 22, no. 3 (August 2015): 258–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2014.04.008.
Lefebvre, R. Craig, and Alexandra S. Bornkessel. “Digital Social Networks and Health.” Circulation 127, no. 17 (April 30, 2013): 1829–36. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.000897.
Liu, Nan, and Shiyong Chen. “The Protection Mechanism of Personal Health Information in the Digital Economy Environment.” Edited by Ping Gao. Journal of Environmental and Public Health 2022, no. 1 (January 13, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2314468.
McClelland, Roy, and Colin M. Harper. “Information Privacy in Healthcare — The Vital Role of Informed Consent.” European Journal of Health Law 30, no. 4 (October 27, 2022): 469–80. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718093-bja10097.
Mokrosinska, Dorota. “Why States Have No Right to Privacy, But May Be Entitled to Secrecy: A Non-Consequentialist Defense of State Secrecy.” Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy 23, no. 4 (June 6, 2020): 415–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698230.2018.1482097.
Najib, Ainun, Umar Umar, Abim Bhakti, Prika Fatikasari, and Aminah Nur Kauthar Binti Zawawi. “Regulation on Freedom of Expression on Social Media in Indonesia and Malaysia.” Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law 1, no. 1 (August 19, 2024): 46–60. https://doi.org/10.71239/jicl.v1i1.20.
Nampewo, Zahara, Jennifer Heaven Mike, and Jonathan Wolff. “Respecting, Protecting and Fulfilling the Human Right to Health.” International Journal for Equity in Health 21, no. 1 (December 15, 2022): 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-022-01634-3.
Nyst, Carly, and Tomaso Falchetta. “The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age.” Journal of Human Rights Practice 9, no. 1 (February 2017): 104–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhuman/huw026.
Politou, Eugenia, Efthimios Alepis, Maria Virvou, and Constantinos Patsakis. Privacy and Data Protection Challenges in the Distributed Era. Vol. 26. Learning and Analytics in Intelligent Systems. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85443-0.
Ribeiro, Rita Alexandra Brilha, and Cristina Branca Bento de Matos Soeiro. “Analysing Criminal Profiling Validity: Underlying Problems and Future Directions.” International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 74 (January 2021): 101670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2020.101670.
Rini Jarwati Indah N. C, Dhea Zeftyaningrum, Richo Febria Putra, and Dio Ashar Wicaksana. “Freedom of Expression in the Spread of Hoax News on Social Media Between Indonesia and South Korea.” Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law 1, no. 3 (December 28, 2024): 246–62. https://doi.org/10.71239/jicl.v1i3.12.
Sarikakis, Katharine, and Lisa Winter. “Social Media Users’ Legal Consciousness About Privacy.” Social Media + Society 3, no. 1 (January 1, 2017). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305117695325.
Sekalala, Sharifah, Stéphanie Dagron, Lisa Forman, and Benjamin Mason Meier. “Analyzing the Human Rights Impact of Increased Digital Public Health Surveillance during the COVID-19 Crisis.” Health and Human Rights Journal 22, no. 2 (2020): 7–20. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33390688/.
Shany, Yuval. “Digital Rights and the Outer Limits of International Human Rights Law.” German Law Journal 24, no. 3 (April 22, 2023): 461–72. https://doi.org/10.1017/glj.2023.35.
Shojaei, Parisasadat, Elena Vlahu-Gjorgievska, and Yang-Wai Chow. “Security and Privacy of Technologies in Health Information Systems: A Systematic Literature Review.” Computers 13, no. 2 (January 31, 2024): 41. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13020041.
Shoushan, Wang. “Legal Protection of Patients’ Right to Privacy.” Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences 6, no. 3 (2023). https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2023.060315.
Silva, Diego Adão Fanti, and Ramiro Colleoni. “Patient’s Privacy Violation on Social Media in the Surgical Area.” The American SurgeonTM 84, no. 12 (December 1, 2018): 1900–1905. https://doi.org/10.1177/000313481808401235.
Šip, Maroš, Bohuslav Kuzyšin, Miroslav Sabolik, and Michal Valčo. “Human Dignity in Inpatient Care: Fragments of Religious and Social Grounds.” Religions 14, no. 6 (June 7, 2023): 757. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060757.
Sprague, Robert. “Privacy Self-Management: A Strategy to Protect Worker Privacy from Excessive Employer Surveillance in Light of Scant Legal Protections.” American Business Law Journal 60, no. 4 (December 21, 2023): 793–836. https://doi.org/10.1111/ablj.12236.
Tomasello, Federico. “From Industrial to Digital Citizenship: Rethinking Social Rights in Cyberspace.” Theory and Society 52, no. 3 (June 3, 2023): 463–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-022-09480-6.
Trepte, Sabine. “The Social Media Privacy Model: Privacy and Communication in the Light of Social Media Affordances.” Communication Theory 31, no. 4 (November 13, 2021): 549–70. https://doi.org/10.1093/ct/qtz035.
Tyagi, Amit Kumar, Richa, and Smita Manohar Gaikwad. “Application and Future Trends in Online Social Networking for the Next Generation.” In Online Social Networks in Business Frameworks, 133–58. New Jersey: Wiley, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394231126.ch7.
Vardanyan, Lusine, Ondrej Hamuľák, and Hovsep Kocharyan. “Personal Autonomy and Human Corporeality: What Protects the Right to Personal Integrity?” Internet of Things 27 (October 2024): 101279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iot.2024.101279.
Winter, Jenifer Sunrise, and Elizabeth Davidson. “Harmonizing Regulatory Regimes for the Governance of Patient-Generated Health Data.” Telecommunications Policy 46, no. 5 (June 2022): 102285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2021.102285.
Zhang, Hui, Hongmei Zhang, Zhenxiang Zhang, and Yuming Wang. “Patient Privacy and Autonomy: A Comparative Analysis of Cases of Ethical Dilemmas in China and the United States.” BMC Medical Ethics 22, no. 1 (December 2, 2021): 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-021-00579-6.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jehad D. Aljazi, Abdullah Ehjelah, Yusuf Mohammed Gassim Obeidat , Bahaaeddin M.S. Khwaira (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Similar Articles
- Md Ali Ashraf, Muhammad Mahmudur Rahman, Md. Basirulla, From Protest to Political Transition: International Responses to Bangladesh's 2024 Movement in the Context of Emergency Constitutional Law , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Frei Fitri Astuti, Laila Nur Jannah, Flexibility in Accessing Legal Information Through Social Media and Its Implications for Law Enforcement , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Putra Perdana Ahmad Saifulloh, Firdaus Arifin, Novendri M. Nggilu, Dindha Shahrazade Sulaiman, Musa Sarjo, The Ratio Legis of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law as Emergency Legislation , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Ousu Mendy, Ebrima Sarr, The Judiciary in Governance: Understanding the Juridical Nature and Function of the Constitutional Court of Indonesia , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Ainun Najib, Umar Umar, Abim Bhakti, Prika Fatikasari, Aminah Nur Kauthar Binti Zawawi, Regulation on Freedom of Expression on Social Media in Indonesia and Malaysia , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2024): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Paul Atagamen Aidonojie, Osaretin George Izevbuwa, Eregbuonye Obieshi, Mercy Okpoko, Joshua John Damina, Advancing Gender's Balance Rights Through Constitutional and Legal Reforms: A Comparative Study of Nigeria and Uganda , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Souad Ezzerouali, Mohamed Cheikh Banane, Hamid Anaya, Radouane El mountafia, The Constitutionality of Water Irrigation Policy in Morocco: Sustaining Agricultural Security Amid Climate Change , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Babafemi Odunsi, Ogbole Ogancha O, Oreoluwa Omotayo Oduniyi, Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in the Nigerian Constitution: Re-Examining the Non-Justiciability of Socio-Economic Rights , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Siti Nursyafiqah Binti Hamdan, Rohaida Binti Nordin, Critique Against the Government: Freedom of Speech and Expression in Malaysia , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Collins Ekpenisi, Charles Okonji, Mercy Okpoko, Hassan Ismaila Adebowale, Endurance Aidonojie, Constitutional and Legislative Framework for Sustainable Environmental Management in Nigeria: Issues and Challenges , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
![](https://i.ibb.co.com/QHRW9FN/logo-road.png"){kind=logo}
