Ellison, N.B., Vitak, J., Steinfield, C., Gray, R. & Lampe, C. (2011). Negotiating privacy concerns and social capital needs in a social media environment. In S. Trepte & L. Reinecke (Eds.), Privacy Online: Perspectives on Privacy and Self-Disclosure in the Social Web. (original) (raw)
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In this paper, we explore the relationship between Facebook users’ privacy concerns, relationship maintenance strategies and social capital outcomes. Previous research has found a positive relationship between various measures of Facebook use and perceptions of social capital, i.e., one’s access to social and information-based resources. Other research has found that social network site users with high privacy concerns modify their disclosures on the site. However, no research to date has empirically tested how privacy concerns and disclosure strategies interact to influence social capital outcomes. To address this gap in the literature, we explored these questions with survey data (N=230). Findings indicate that privacy concerns and behaviors predict disclosures on Facebook, but not perceptions of social capital. In addition, when looking at predictors of social capital, we identify interaction effects between users’network composition and their use of privacy features.
Understanding the Antecedents and Outcomes of Facebook Privacy Behaviors: An Integrated Model
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 2020
Privacy in online social networking (OSN) is more complex than in traditional online environments, such as ecommerce. In addition to simply limiting self-disclosure, OSN users can also use privacy settings and manage their network size to ensure privacy. This complexity calls for an enhanced OSN privacy model that more completely explains privacy behaviors. Combining the privacy calculus model with part of the uses and gratifications approach, this paper proposes an OSN privacy model that depicts both antecedents (i.e., privacy concern, trusting beliefs, and personal interest) and outcomes (i.e., gratifications obtained) of perceived privacy and use behaviors. Using an Empanel survey sample collected from U.S. Facebook users, results show that privacy concern influences network size, trust influences privacy setting use and use frequency, and personal interest influences each privacy and use behavior. Findings also show that the privacy behaviors' influence on gratifications obtained is complex in nature. A three-way interaction influences enjoyment and habit gratifications, and a two-way interaction influences bonding social capital. This paper provides opportunities for future research regarding OSN privacy behaviors, and it discusses practical implications.
Give social network users the privacy they want
Social Network Sites (SNS) are often characterized as a trade- off where users must give up privacy to gain social benefits. We investigated the alternative viewpoint that users gain the most benefits when SNSs give them the privacy they desire. Applying structural equation modeling to questionnaire data of 303 Facebook users, we examined the complex relation- ship between privacy and SNS benefits. We found that SNS users whose privacy desires were met reported higher levels of social connectedness (i.e., perceived relational closeness with others) than those who achieved less privacy than they desired. Social connectedness, in turn, played a pivotal role in building social capital (i.e., the benefits derived from relation- ships with others). These findings suggest that more openness may not always be better; SNSs should aim to achieve ‘Pri- vacy Fit’ with user needs to enhance user experience and en- sure sustained use.
Proceedings of the fourth international …, 2009
Despite concerns raised about the disclosure of personal information on social network sites, research has demonstrated that users continue to disclose personal information. The present study employs surveys and interviews to examine the factors that influence university students to disclose personal information on Facebook. Moreover, we study the strategies students have developed to protect themselves against privacy threats. The results show that personal network size was positively associated with information revelation, no association was found between concern about unwanted audiences and information revelation and finally, students’ Internet privacy concerns and information revelation were negatively associated. The privacy protection strategies employed most often were the exclusion of personal information, the use of private email messages, and altering the default privacy settings. Based on our findings, we propose a model of information revelation and draw conclusions for theories of identity expression.
International Journal of Human- …, 2010
Little research has been conducted on the two most important criteria for the success of social network sites (SNS), that is, content sharing and sociability, and how these affect privacy experiences and usage behavior among SNS users. This article explores these issues by employing in-depth interviews and explorative usability tests, comparing the experiences and usage of younger and older Facebook users. First, the interviews revealed that Facebook users in all age groups reported more contact with several different groups of people, which reflects different types of social capital (i.e., family, friends, and acquaintances), because of Facebook, but not without consequences for privacy. Having too many Facebook “friends” and access to different social capital disrupt the sharing process due to experiences of social surveillance and social control. This social control often forces younger people in particular to use conformity as a strategy when sharing content to maintain their privacy. Further, the interviews revealed different motivations and usage patterns when older and younger users are compared. Second, the usability test found a significant difference between younger and older adults in time completion and task completion related to Facebook settings. Younger users are more skilled in their Facebook usage, whereas adults over the age of 40 have difficulties in understanding the navigation logic and privacy settings. Younger and older adults display completely open public profiles without realizing it. Finally, the design and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.
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2010
On Online Social Networks such as Facebook, massive self-disclosure by users has attracted the attention of industry players and policymakers worldwide. Despite the impressive scope of this phenomenon, very little is understood about what motivates users to disclose personal information. Integrating focus group results into a theoretical privacy calculus framework, we develop and empirically test a Structural Equation Model of self-disclosure with 259 subjects. We find that users are primarily motivated to disclose information due to the convenience of maintaining and developing relationships and platform enjoyment. Countervailing these benefits, privacy risks represent a critical barrier to information disclosure. However, users' perception of risk can be mitigated by their trust in the Network Provider and availability of control options. Based on these findings, we offer recommendations for Network Providers.
Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC) Conference Proceedings, 2012
This study qualitatively explores consumers’ privacy protecting behaviours on social networking sites. A Leximancer analysis of depth interviews with experienced social networkers revealed concerns about social risk factors, rather than monetary or physical risks associated with sharing information online. These findings are interesting in light of current scholarly research about online privacy which indicates that whilst consumers’ are increasingly concerned about their privacy, they appear to take little or no action to protect their personal information when using social networking sites. The findings of this preliminary research demonstrates that consumers’ are re-conceptualizing their privacy around social risk, which is influencing both how consumers classify what is private information, as well as how they perform privacy protecting behaviours.
Balancing Audience and Privacy Tensions on Social Network Sites
As social network sites grow and diversify in both users and content, tensions between users’ audience composition and their disclosure practices become more prevalent. Users must navigate these spaces carefully to reap relational benefits while ensuring content is not shared with unintended audiences. Through a qualitative study of highly engaged Facebook users, this study provides insight into how people conceptualize friendship online as well as how perceived audience affects privacy concerns and privacy management strategies. Findings suggest an increasingly complex relationship between these variables, fueled by collapsing contexts and invisible audiences. Although a diverse range of strategies are available to manage privacy, most participants in this sample still engaged in some degree of self-censorship.
Privacy antecedents for SNS self-disclosure: The case of Facebook
In recent years, social networking sites have spread rapidly, raising new issues in terms of privacy and self-disclosure online. For a better understanding of how privacy issues determine self-disclosure, a model which includes privacy awareness, privacy social norms, privacy policy, privacy control, privacy value, privacy concerns and self-disclosure was built. A total of 661 respondents participated in an online survey and a structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the model. The findings indicated a significant relationship between privacy value/privacy concerns and self-disclosure, privacy awareness and privacy concerns/self-disclosure, privacy social norms and privacy value/self-disclosure, privacy policy and privacy value/privacy concerns/self-disclosure, privacy control and privacy value/privacy concerns. The model from the study should contribute new knowledge concerning privacy issues and their shaping of self-disclosure on social networking sites. It could also help networking sites service providers understand how to encourage users to disclose more information.