Understanding information disclosures and privacy sensitivity on short-form video platforms: An empirical investigation

Abstract

As a new social media platform, short-form video apps integrate the dual functions of e-commerce and social networking. The proliferation and high penetration rate of this kind of app have resulted in online user concerns about the privacy security problems exposed by such platforms. This study focuses on better understanding the impact mechanism of private information disclosure behaviors and obtained benefits on privacy concerns of short-form video platform users. We analyzed the behavioral and privacy setting data of 35,456 users registered on the TikTok platform. The results demonstrated a correlation between use behaviors (e.g., participation and interest) and privacy sensitivity, among which popularity, as a form of external feedback, played a mediating role. In addition, the official certification provided to users by the platform moderated the impact of user popularity on privacy sensitivity. This study enriches the understanding of the correlation between privacy concerns and information disclosure behavior and suggests practical implications for the design of privacy settings and protections by short-form video platforms.