Factors mediating disclosure in social network sites

Abstract

In this paper, we explore how privacy settings and privacy policy consumption (reading the privacy policy) affect the relationship between privacy attitudes and disclosure behaviors. We present results from a survey completed by 122 users of Facebook regarding their information disclosure practices and their attitudes about privacy. Based on our data, we develop and evaluate a model for understanding factors that affect how privacy attitudes influence disclosure and discuss implications for social network sites. Our analysis shows that the relationship between privacy attitudes and certain types of disclosures (those furthering contact) are controlled by privacy policy consumption and privacy behaviors. This provides evidence that social network sites could help mitigate concerns about disclosure by providing transparent privacy policies and privacy controls.

Introduction

Activity in a networked community can be stimulated by the creation and exposure of user-generated content (Erickson and Kellogg, 2000, Mynatt et al., 1998). In a social network site like Facebook, shared pictures, status updates, and links keep users interested and drive page views. However, user attitudes toward privacy may affect the volume and type of content shared in a social network site (Acquisti & Gross, 2006), which may in turn have implications for social network site vibrancy. For example, a user who is particularly concerned about ownership or privacy of shared data may limit information disclosed in a social network. Users are in good stead to be concerned about information shared in social network sites; harms originating from inadvertent or improper disclosures include legal sanctions (Grimmelmann, 2009), unintentional exposure of personal data (Jernigan & Mistree, 2009), and physical threats including cyberbullying (Palfrey, 2008). Social network site administrators are challenged to implement technologies and policies that address user privacy concerns while enabling the free flow of content. In the design community, researchers are working to create systems that support the sharing of content in a way that reduces potential harms to users (Hawkey and Inkpen, 2006, Nov and Wattal, 2009).

Research by Cranor, Reagle, and Ackerman (2000) explored attitudes towards information disclosure on the Internet. The researchers found that prior attitudes, such as conceptions about the value of identifiers, were important factors in online disclosure. Notably, the researchers also found that transparency (e.g. the posting of a privacy policy) and personal information control were important positive factors in online disclosure. General attitudes about privacy also play a strong role in individual online disclosure practices. If a company sufficiently addresses user privacy concerns, the role privacy concerns play in online disclosure may be mitigated.

In the following study we explore factors that potentially mediate the relationship between privacy attitudes and disclosure behaviors in a social network site, Facebook. As prior research suggests, the relationship between privacy attitudes and disclosure behaviors may be mediated by education about company privacy practices, and by increasing individual control over disclosures (e.g. Ahern et al., 2007, Cranor et al., 2000, Fogel and Nehmad, 2009, Lewis et al., 2008). By controlling the effects of privacy attitudes on disclosure, social network site users may feel free to share content and engage in other community-enhancing behavior (Iriberri & Leroy, 2009). Therefore, it is useful for both designers and policy-makers to understand the relationship between privacy attitudes and disclosure behaviors in social network sites. In this work, we draw on Altman’s (1975) theories of boundary regulation, employing the privacy optimization process to explore if increased knowledge and privacy control potentially mediate the relationship between privacy attitudes and disclosure behaviors.