网络时代的通信秘密:性质、范围及限制

Correspondence Confidentiality in Web Era:Characteristics,Categories and Limits

关于通信秘密存在着诸多学术争议,而网络通信技术的运用则使得这一争议更为复杂。通过横向比较研究及现实考察可以发现,通信秘密不仅包含隐私和表达利益,而且对应着建构让公民能够安心安全使用的通信系统的要求。唯其如此,通信秘密并非隐私权的下属权利。在范围上,它同时涵盖通信内容和通信构成要素,但二者受保护程度不同,且在网络时代应对后者从严予以认定。在限制上,尽管通信秘密受到加重法律保留,从而可能引发两重法律困境,但一方面应区分通信内容和通信构成要素,另一方面该权利还受到一定的内在制约,故而两重困境均可能得到化解。

There are many academic controversies on correspondence confidentiality,and the use of netw ork communication technology makes this controversy even more complicated. A cross-sectional comparative study and a reality check reveal that correspondence confidentiality not only covers privacy and expressive interests,but also corresponds to the requirement of constructing a communication system that citizens can use safely. Only for this reason,correspondence confidentiality is not a subordinate to the privacy right. In terms of scope,it covers both the content of correspondence and the components of correspondence,but the tw o are protected to different degrees, and the latter should be strictly determined in the netw ork era. In terms of limitation,although correspondence confidentiality is subject to aggravated legal reservation,w hich may lead to tw o legal dilemmas,both dilemmas may be resolved by distinguishing communication content and components of correspondence on the one hand,and subjecting the right to certain inherent constraints on the other hand.