Of provenance and privacy: Using contextual integrity to define third-party privacy

Abstract

This article approaches the issue of third-party privacy by examining how contextual factors related to the creation and use of records can inform decisions to restrict or open access. Helen Nissenbaum's theory of contextual integrity, which originates from the discourse surrounding digital privacy, is applied as a means to expand an archival concept of provenance to address privacy risks. Applying contextual integrity to privacy decisions also allows archivists to frame decisions in terms of circulation, rather than as a simple dichotomy between access and restriction. Such nuance is invaluable when considering the impact of making records available digitally. © Kathleen Fear and Paul Conway.