Privacy as information access and illusory control: The case of the Facebook News Feed privacy outcry

Christopher M. Hoadley; Heng Xu; Joey J. Lee; Mary Beth Rosson

doi:10.1016/j.elerap.2009.05.001

Privacy as information access and illusory control: The case of the Facebook News Feed privacy outcry

Christopher M. Hoadley, Heng Xu, Joey J. Lee, Mary Beth Rosson

Administration, Leadership & Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Increasingly, millions of people, especially youth, post personal information in online social networks (OSNs). In September 2006, one of the most popular sites-Facebook.com-introduced the features of News Feed and Mini Feed, revealing no more information than before, but resulting in immediate criticism from users. To investigate the privacy controversy, we conducted a survey among 172 current Facebook users in a large US university to explore their usage behaviors and privacy attitudes toward the introduction of the controversial News Feed and Mini Feed features. We examined the degree to which users were upset by the changes, explored the reasons as to why, and examined the influences of the News Feed privacy outcry on user behavior changes. The results have demonstrated how an easier information access and an "illusory" loss of control prompted by the introduction of News Feed features, triggered users' privacy concerns. In addition to enhancing our theoretical understanding of privacy issues in the online social networks, this research is also potentially useful to privacy advocates, regulatory bodies, service providers, and marketers to help shape or justify their decisions concerning the online social networks.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	50-60
Number of pages	11
Journal	Electronic Commerce Research and Applications
Volume	9
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2009.05.001
State	Published - Jan 2010

Keywords

Illusory loss of control
Information disclosure
Information privacy
Limited information access
Online social networks (OSNs)
Perceived information control

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Computer Science Applications
Computer Networks and Communications
Marketing
Management of Technology and Innovation

Access to Document

10.1016/j.elerap.2009.05.001

Cite this

@article{bdc1e2b64f49463db17c74e2f84cfe84,

title = "Privacy as information access and illusory control: The case of the Facebook News Feed privacy outcry",

abstract = "Increasingly, millions of people, especially youth, post personal information in online social networks (OSNs). In September 2006, one of the most popular sites-Facebook.com-introduced the features of News Feed and Mini Feed, revealing no more information than before, but resulting in immediate criticism from users. To investigate the privacy controversy, we conducted a survey among 172 current Facebook users in a large US university to explore their usage behaviors and privacy attitudes toward the introduction of the controversial News Feed and Mini Feed features. We examined the degree to which users were upset by the changes, explored the reasons as to why, and examined the influences of the News Feed privacy outcry on user behavior changes. The results have demonstrated how an easier information access and an {"}illusory{"} loss of control prompted by the introduction of News Feed features, triggered users' privacy concerns. In addition to enhancing our theoretical understanding of privacy issues in the online social networks, this research is also potentially useful to privacy advocates, regulatory bodies, service providers, and marketers to help shape or justify their decisions concerning the online social networks.",

keywords = "Illusory loss of control, Information disclosure, Information privacy, Limited information access, Online social networks (OSNs), Perceived information control",

author = "Hoadley, {Christopher M.} and Heng Xu and Lee, {Joey J.} and Rosson, {Mary Beth}",

year = "2010",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.elerap.2009.05.001",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "9",

pages = "50--60",

journal = "Electronic Commerce Research and Applications",

issn = "1567-4223",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Privacy as information access and illusory control

T2 - The case of the Facebook News Feed privacy outcry

AU - Hoadley, Christopher M.

AU - Xu, Heng

AU - Lee, Joey J.

AU - Rosson, Mary Beth

PY - 2010/1

Y1 - 2010/1

N2 - Increasingly, millions of people, especially youth, post personal information in online social networks (OSNs). In September 2006, one of the most popular sites-Facebook.com-introduced the features of News Feed and Mini Feed, revealing no more information than before, but resulting in immediate criticism from users. To investigate the privacy controversy, we conducted a survey among 172 current Facebook users in a large US university to explore their usage behaviors and privacy attitudes toward the introduction of the controversial News Feed and Mini Feed features. We examined the degree to which users were upset by the changes, explored the reasons as to why, and examined the influences of the News Feed privacy outcry on user behavior changes. The results have demonstrated how an easier information access and an "illusory" loss of control prompted by the introduction of News Feed features, triggered users' privacy concerns. In addition to enhancing our theoretical understanding of privacy issues in the online social networks, this research is also potentially useful to privacy advocates, regulatory bodies, service providers, and marketers to help shape or justify their decisions concerning the online social networks.

AB - Increasingly, millions of people, especially youth, post personal information in online social networks (OSNs). In September 2006, one of the most popular sites-Facebook.com-introduced the features of News Feed and Mini Feed, revealing no more information than before, but resulting in immediate criticism from users. To investigate the privacy controversy, we conducted a survey among 172 current Facebook users in a large US university to explore their usage behaviors and privacy attitudes toward the introduction of the controversial News Feed and Mini Feed features. We examined the degree to which users were upset by the changes, explored the reasons as to why, and examined the influences of the News Feed privacy outcry on user behavior changes. The results have demonstrated how an easier information access and an "illusory" loss of control prompted by the introduction of News Feed features, triggered users' privacy concerns. In addition to enhancing our theoretical understanding of privacy issues in the online social networks, this research is also potentially useful to privacy advocates, regulatory bodies, service providers, and marketers to help shape or justify their decisions concerning the online social networks.

KW - Illusory loss of control

KW - Information disclosure

KW - Information privacy

KW - Limited information access

KW - Online social networks (OSNs)

KW - Perceived information control

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=73749088345&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=73749088345&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.elerap.2009.05.001

DO - 10.1016/j.elerap.2009.05.001

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:73749088345

SN - 1567-4223

VL - 9

SP - 50

EP - 60

JO - Electronic Commerce Research and Applications

JF - Electronic Commerce Research and Applications

IS - 1

ER -

Privacy as information access and illusory control: The case of the Facebook News Feed privacy outcry

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this