Title: The influential factors for the variation of data sensitivity in ubiquitous social networking

Authors: Antonio Sapuppo

Addresses: Center for Communication, Media and Information Technologies, Aalborg University, Sydhavnsgade 17-19, Frederikskaj 12, Copenhagen 2450, Denmark

Abstract: Ubiquitous social networking services offer new opportunities for developing advantageous relationships by uncovering hidden connections that people share with others nearby. As sharing of personal information is an intrinsic part of ubiquitous social networking, these services are subject to crucial privacy threats. In order to contribute to the design of privacy management systems, we present results of a mixed methods study that investigated the influential factors for the variation of human data sensitivity upon different circumstances. The results indicate that the users' information sensitivity is decreasing inversely proportionally to the relevance of data disclosure for initiation of relationships with others. We suggest privacy designers should take into account the purpose of disclosure and environment as primary indexes for data disclosure. Other influential factors, i.e. activity, mood, location familiarity, number of previous encounters and mutual friends, were also discovered to influence participants' data disclosure, but as factors of secondary importance.

Keywords: privacy management; ubiquitous computing; information disclosure; social networking; data sensitivity; information sharing; personal information; privacy preservation; privacy protection; information security; data disclosure; data security.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWMC.2013.054046

International Journal of Wireless and Mobile Computing, 2013 Vol.6 No.2, pp.115 - 130

Received: 21 Oct 2012
Accepted: 24 Oct 2012

Published online: 11 Oct 2014 *

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