Contextual Integrity

A privacy framework developed by Helen Nissenbaum that defines privacy not as secrecy but as the appropriate flow of information according to context-specific norms. According to contextual integrity, privacy is violated when information flows deviate from the norms governing a particular context—for example, medical information shared in a healthcare setting follows different norms than the same information shared on social media. In accessibility contexts, contextual integrity is particularly relevant for blind and low vision users who rely on AI tools and visual interpretation services to process visual information, as the privacy implications of sharing images differ significantly depending on whether the content involves medical documents, personal appearance, financial records, or public spaces.