Communication Privacy Management Theory

A communication theory developed by Sandra Petronio that treats private information as something people own and collectively manage through negotiated rules about boundaries, co-ownership, and turbulence (boundary violations). CPM is widely used to analyse online self-disclosure, health-information sharing, and the design of social-media privacy controls. In accessibility research, CPM helps explain the tension faced by disabled creators and cultural outsiders who must balance the benefits of transparency (credibility, audience trust, education) against risks (harassment, discrimination, privacy intrusion). CPM-informed design can offer layered disclosure controls, element-level risk indicators, and audience-specific sharing rules to support safer self-expression.