Here, we must emphasize that privacy, defined as the right be let alone, must not
be confused with a desire to be left alone. Private individuals are not socially
reclusive individuals. We define privacy as control over information about oneself
(Taraszow et al. 2010). Thus, we follow Westin’s (1967) definition that views
privacy as control over the circumstances under which information is shared:
“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” (Westin 1967, p. 7). This definition is aligned with others
who have similarly defined privacy as personal information that an individual does
not desire to share with a general public (Hodge 2006; Etzioni 1997; Kaplin and Lee
1997; Richards 2007; Timm and Duven 2008). Privacy thus guarantees decision
making autonomy for the self, in environments both digital and non-digital. The
following passages will focus on three key aspects of this autonomy: privacy and
the self, privacy and the formation of social relationships, and privacy and democracy.
We view these three aspects as representative of activity on SNSs and
reflective of the underlying utility of privacy.