Westin’s (1967) theory of privacy speaks of ways in which people protect themselves by temporarily limiting access to themselves by others. According to Westin (1967, p. 7):
Privacy is the claim of individuals, groups, or institutions to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about them is communicated to others. Viewed in terms of the relation of the individual to social participation, privacy is the voluntary and temporary withdrawal of a person from the general society through physical or psychological means, either in a state of solitude or small group intimacy or, when among large groups, in a condition of anonymity or reserve.