In CPM theory, privacy boundaries can range from complete openness to
complete closedness or secrecy. An open boundary reflects willingness to grant
access to private information through disclosure or giving permission to view that
information, thus representing a process of revealing. On the other hand, a closed
boundary represents information that is private and not necessarily accessible, thus
characterizing a process of concealing and protecting. The relationship between the
boundaries is dialectical, consistent with Altman’s thesis, because we continuously
adapt our level of privacy and disclosure to internal and external states because we
simultaneously need to be open and social as well as private and preserve our
autonomy. Moreover, we achieve desired levels of privacy and disclosure through
the use of privacy rules. That is, when we make a decision to disclose private
information, we use a rule-based privacy management system that regulates the
degree of boundary permeability (how much is told) and that manages linkages
(who we want to know the information) and the level of shared ownership with
others. Using this rule-based management system allows CPM theory to consider
how decisions are made about revealing and concealing private information
(Petronio 2002).