Redefining Privacy: Evolving Definitions, Emerging Interpretations, and Challenged Boundaries

This paper starts from the challenges in technical and normative domains in defining privacy in a way that makes the concept applicable to both real -life and online contexts. Building on the existing definitions and current privacy breaches online, this study analyses the impact of social networks on the way personal space is defined by individuals and society. It concentrates on our efforts to manage and limit others’ access to personal information in real life and online, and investigates the way people understand, use, and feel about social networks, as well as the tools they use for managing privacy. In this light, the study proposes a natural approach to privacy, defining it as an intuitive state of being rooted in solitude and autonomy. To test this approach, we focus on the Romanian case-study and find that the main uses of social networks are to get informed, socialize, and create and maintain relationships. To enable these functions, individuals adjust their privacy limits and redefine privacy. A similar process also occurs at the social level, where privacy boundaries are lowered. As a result, individuals experience an inner conflict and struggle between the desire to have control over personal information and the need to align with new social trends, perceived as normal.The paper ends with recommendations for future research regarding the potential benefits and risks of evolving social perceptions of privacy and personal space.