Privacy Protecting Behavior in Social Network Sites

Abstract

The use of Social Network Sites (SNSs) poses risks to the privacy of members: for example, the members’ information could be used for unwelcome commercial purposes or they could become the target of personal attacks. Risks generally lead to Protecting Behavior. However, it is still unknown which specific Protecting Behavior results from Perceived Privacy Risk in SNSs. Based on a study of the literature, we identified six potential Privacy Protecting Behaviors that SNS members could use. Drawing from the Protection Motivation Theory, we argue that not only does SNS members’ Perceived Privacy Risk (Threat Appraisal) influence the implementation of specific Privacy Protecting Behaviors; their evaluation of the potential Privacy Protecting Behaviors themselves (Coping Appraisal) influences it as well. After surveying 50 German-speaking Facebook users and applying a structural equation modeling approach, we confirmed a positive influence of Perceived Privacy Risk on Refusal, Selectivity in Connections, and Strictness of Privacy Settings. In contrast, we were not able to confirm an influence of Perceived Privacy Risk on Misrepresentation, Removal, and Termination of Connections. However, this confirmed our hypotheses that Perceived Privacy Risk has a greater influence on Refusal than on Misrepresentation and Removal, and that it has greater influence on Selectivity in Connections than on Termination of Connections.