Applying Modified TAM to Privacy Setting Tools on SNS

The technology acceptance model (TAM) proposes that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use can predict that whether an information technology will be accepted and used by people. In this research, we were trying to find out dominant factors which could be predictors to the usage of privacy setting tools on Social Networking Sites (SNS) based on TAM. We used a modified TAM to take usefulness antecedents and ease of use antecedents into consideration. 266 subjects responded to a survey about their feelings when using privacy setting tools based on Renren, a widely used SNS in China. The results support TAM. They also demonstrate that four factors -- ease of understanding, ease of finding, reject undesirable contact and control access to one's profile have significant effect on people's acceptance and usage of privacy setting tools on SNS. The results could help developers and managers of SNS to better understand which factors can impact users' decisions on accepting and using privacy setting tools on SNS.

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