Zeynep ASA 2011 privacy

A Proactive Generation Reacts: Privacy, Disclosure and Strategic Action on Facebook By Zeynep Tufekci Assistant Professor University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Twitter: @techsoc [email_address] n c.edu

Reality versus Perception
A loony, narcissistic generation inexplicably oversharing just because they’re different
Facebook merely reflecting those changes
Numerous assertions by Facebook executives that “one identity, one social graph” is better, moral, normal

Privacy and Disclosure are:
Historically-situated
Grounded by personal circumstances, identit(ies), context
Structured and played out through architecture, norms and affordances
Always include strategic action considerations

Popular Perception:

Background
Facebook is a de facto norm among college students
Facebook architecturally leans towards disclosure and a united social graph
Facebook has made multiple privacy changes, often controversial
Disclosure levels tend to be high

What We Know
Contrary to media perceptions, are struggling to adapt and figure out
Documenting struggle, strategy and change: Boyd & Hargittai (2010), Stutzman (2011), Raynes–Goldie, Kate (2010), Pew (2010)

Strategies & Experiences: Questions
How have young adult behaviors have changed over time?
What are their experiences with privacy and disclosure?
What are their strategies?
Can we untangle experience (i.e. Bandura’s social learning theory) and anticipatory behaviors?

This Study
College student sample
Latest survey December 2010 (n=403)
Historical surveys on comparable (but not longitudinal) groups since 2006 (n>1000)
m
Diverse, mid-sized school, socio-economic range, sample generally representative of school

Sample Characteristics 3.58 Years on FB MEAN 4.06 General Privacy Concern (1-5) MEAN 26.5 Asian-Ame. 13.0 Hisp./Other 17.5 Black 43.0 White 45.6 Female 53.3 Male N (%)

Sample Descriptives 3.3 How concerned are you that people you do not want to see your profile would see your profile (1-5) 1.8 To find potential friends 1.5 To find people with similar interests 3.4 Keep in touch with friends elsewhere 3.1 Keep in touch with friends in same school EVER USE FACEBOOK FOR: (1-4)

90.3 Those whose last change was to make their profile LESS visible Of those who changed ever privacy settings (n=363): 82.9 Changed their privacy settings in the last year 36.7 Changed their privacy settings last month 9.4 Never changed privacy settings % Those who have: 19.6 Deactivate their profile 68.3 Unfriend someone 81.3 Deleted info from profile 73.9 Untagged themselves from a photo % EVER DONE THE FOLLOWING BECAUSE OF A PRIVACY OR VISIBILITY CONCERN?

Sample Descriptives 0.8% Had a legal problem 17.2% Had a fight with a parent 25.7% Had a fight with a friend 8.0% Broke up with a girlfriend/boyfriend 28.7% Had a fight with a girlfriend/boyfriend 2.5% Had issues at work 0.5% Did not get hired 0.8% Lost a job AT LEAST ONCE Did the Following Happen to YOU?

21.9% Had a legal problem 53.2% Had a fight with a parent 66.2% Had a fight with a friend 51.2% Broke up with a girlfriend/boyfriend 70.9% Had a fight with a girlfriend/boyfriend 30.8% Had issues at work 19.4% Did not get hired 19.7% Lost a job AT LEAST ONCE Did the Following Happen to SOMEONE YOU KNOW?

32.5% You got caught in a lie by someone else through your profile 59.6% You found that someone else had been lying to you by looking at their profile 77.8% You found out something very important about a friend 54.6% Someone much older contacted you 33.6% Someone harassed/stalked you online 39.8% You got upset with someone after seeing a picture of theirs with someone else 25.7% Someone else got upset with you seeing a picture of you with someone else 70.0% Other people posted pictures of you that you wish they had not 73.9% Someone you did not want found your profile AT LEAST ONCE Did Any of the Following Happen to You? (%)

Changes in Profile Visibility in Facebook 2006-2010 (December)

Privacy Concerns and Profile Visibility in Facebook 2006-2010 (December)

exp(b) exp(b) exp(b) exp(b) Female 1.583 1.732* 0.611 0.255** Black 1.032 0.684 0.428 1.232 Hisp/Other 0.693 0.929 1.828 1.192 Asian 0.676 0.934 0.680 1.861 Happened to me 0.988 0.980 1.044 1.016 I observed 1.099 1.023 1.079 1.085 Surveillance 1.049 1.004 0.754*** 0.937 Far friends 1.181 1.165 0.824 0.925 Near friends 0.892 1.538* 1.186 0.907 Find potential 1.002 1.283 0.740 1.031 Find similar 0.679 0.761 1.801* 1.337 Audience Concern 1.671*** 1.791*** 0.624* 0.375*** Years on FB 1.364** 1.047 0.803 0.773* _cons 0.097 0.008*** 22.286 8.462 N 383 383 383 383 ll -162.272 223.213 -97.021 -104.967 * * p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001 Logistic Regression Modeling Odds of Privacy Related Behaviors Less Visible Last Month Never Changed Public Profile

The Previous Table Says:
Respondent’s concern over unwanted audiences IS significantly associated with privacy-preserving actions
Respondent’s experience with *or* observations of negative consequences is NOT strongly associated with privacy related actions

Know Don’t Know exp(b) exp(b) Female -0.098 -0.141 Black 0.100 0.129 Hisp/Other 0.209 -0.021 Asian 0.243** 0.145 Someone else -0.007 -0.003 Me 0.015 -0.032 Surveillance 0.010 0.036*** Far friends -0.023 0.104 Near friends 0.017 -0.026 Find potential 0.039 0.156** Find similar 0.029 0.138* Profile concern -0.033 - 0.164*** Years on FB 0.005 -0.015 _cons 3.219*** 1.494*** N 381 381 ll -365.679 -420.871 * p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001 Logistic Regression Modeling Odds of Accepting Friend Request from Person already known / not known

The Previous Table Says: When it Comes to Accepting Friend Request from Unknown Person:
Respondent’s who are interested in finding similar people and expanding their networks more likely
Respondents concerned about unwanted audiences less likely

Nickname exp(b) Female 0.527 Black 2.810* Hisp/Other 0.951 Asian 1.194 Someone else 0.929 Me 1.081 Surveillance 1.021 Far friends 0.920 Near friends 1.020 Find potential 1.386 Find similar 0.798 Profile concern 1.196 Years on FB 1.101 _cons 0.031* N 383 ll -103.802 * p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001 Logistic Regression Modeling Odds of Using a Nickname of Facebook

The Previous Table Says: For Nicknames
African-Americans almost three times the odds of using a nickname on Facebook
Descriptive: in 2006-7, about 94% used nicknames, in 2010 December about 90%
Also, only 3.5% use multiple profiles on Facebook

Not Shown:
Interaction with “near friends” has higher association with untagging and deleting information (suggests strategic action)
Disclosure levels have gone down from 06-07 but are still relatively high
Romantic status disclosure also linked to privacy related issues (esp. unwanted audiences)

Conclusion
Facebook remains a dominant platform and a strong social norm in College
Young adults in college are adapting and changing their behaviors on Facebook
Privacy related behaviors are associated with pro-active (concerns) rather than re-active (personal incidents or observations) considerations
Privacy/disclosure actions have a strong strategic component.

Instead: Strategic disclosure

Instead: Cost/benefit analysis

Instead: Impression Management

Instead: Adaptation and Change

Thank you! Questions? By Zeynep Tufekci Assistant Professor University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Twitter: @techsoc [email_address] n c.edu

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Zeynep ASA 2011 privacy

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