AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE PRIVACY CONCERNS OF SOCIAL NETWORK SITE USERS IN TAIWAN

The study has two purposes: (1) to investigate the impact of awareness and control on Social Network Sites (SNSs) users’ information privacy concerns, and (2) to understand how information privacy concerns and the notion of trust shape users’ risk perceptions. The study collects data using survey methodology. A total of 356 SNS users are analyzed via partial least squares. Users regard awareness of and direct control over personal information disclosed on SNSs to be relative to their information privacy concerns in a positive and a negative direction, respectively. Furthermore, information privacy concerns and trust may collectively influence their perceived risk towards SNS. It is therefore advisable for SNS service providers to pay more attention to their own understanding of how awareness and control principles influence users’ information privacy concerns. Further, SNS providers should also propose more effective means necessary to reduce users’ information privacy concerns overall.

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