Information privacy disclosure on social network sites

Abstract

Purpose As social network sites (SNS) have increasingly become one of the most important channels for communication, the related privacy issues gain more and more attention in both industry and academic research fields. This study aims to connect the antecedents of information privacy disclosure on SNS. Design/methodology/approach Based on exchange theory, this study tries to investigate the decision-making process for information privacy disclosure on SNS. Factors from both user’s and website’s perspectives are taken into account in the proposed model. Findings The results suggest that an individual’s perceived benefits will increase their willingness to disclose information privacy on SNS, but perceived risks decrease this kind of willingness. The authors also find social network size, personal innovativeness and incentive provision positively affect people’s perceived benefits. Originality/value Moreover, privacy invasion experience enhances perceived personal risks, but website reputation helps to reduce perceived risks.

Examining Self-Disclosure on Social Networking Sites: A Flow Theory and Privacy Perspective

“…For example, the public presentation of personal profiles, photos, and videos [20], as well as regular status updates on daily events, preferences, experiences, and places in the lives of users [2] has made it relatively easy to discover previously private information about people with a basic Google search. It is little wonder then that some of the major discussions regarding the issue have centered on privacy concerns [4,21,22], often linked to the carelessness and/or avarice of corporations (Chen and Sharma [23]) who gain and share the private information of users once they sign up on the platform.…”

“…Thus, where consumers have previously experienced an invasion of their privacy, their trust in the service provider plummets [2]. This is due to the fact that there seems to be an unspoken contract between SNS providers and consumers that their data and information will be kept private.…”

“…These realities also lead to a decrease in self-disclosure on social networking sites [9], especially compared to other users who have not yet experienced such invasions [61]. However, Li et al [2] find that where the reputation of the website is positive, users who have previously suffered from privacy invasion experiences may experience reduced perceived risk, which in turn has less of a negative effect on self-disclosure. …”

“…The strength of the interpersonal ties formed on the social networking site may also have an effect on the level and quality of self-disclosure on the platform [2,6]. Factors related to social capital have been found to affect self-disclosure behavior in SNS environments.…”

“…Social media and other web 2.0 tools have provided the platform for individuals to communicate simultaneously not only with their friends and acquaintances but also with relative strangers [1] with unprecedented ease. This has facilitated the ability of people to share more about themselves, their families, and their friends through a variety of media including text, photo, and video [2], thus developing and sustaining social and business relationships [3,4]. Ellison and Boyd [5] defined a social networking site as “a networked communication platform in which participants (1) have uniquely identifiable profiles that consist of user-supplied content, content provided by other users and/or system-level data, (2) can publicly articulate connections that can be viewed and traversed by others, and (3) can consume, produce, and/or interact with streams of user generated content provided by their connections on the site.” In the literature, this process of “making the self known to others,” described as self-disclosure [6] has been in existence at least since the late 1950s for example Jourard & Lasakow [7], and is a well-established phenomenon in the field of psychology [8].…”