Managing Communication Privacy in Post-Infidelity Relationships: Negotiating Digital Access Openness

Abstract

Infidelity not only undermines trust but also reshapes how couples manage communication privacy in the digital era. This study examines how couples renegotiate communication privacy boundaries through digital access openness following infidelity. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five participants who had experienced infidelity and chose to maintain their relationships. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis from the perspective of Communication Privacy Management (CPM). The findings reveal that infidelity transforms privacy boundaries through three processes: changes in privacy rules, renegotiation of digital access openness, and the use of digital openness as a strategy for rebuilding trust. Access to mobile phones, social media accounts, and digital information was understood as a mutual commitment to reduce uncertainty and restore the relationship. However, digital access openness alone was insufficient to fully restore trust, which also depended on consistent behavior and honest communication. This study demonstrates that privacy boundaries in romantic relationships are dynamic and continuously renegotiated following a breach of trust. Keywords: communication privacy management; digital access openness; infidelity; privacy boundary negotiation; trust reconstruction