A Proactive Generation Reacts: Privacy, Disclosure and Strategic Action on Facebook

1. A Proactive Generation Reacts: Privacy, Disclosure and Strategic Action on Facebook By Zeynep Tufekci Assistant Professor University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Twitter: @techsoc zeynep@unc.edu

2. 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

3. 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

4. Popular Perception:

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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?

8. 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

9. Sample Characteristics

10. Sample Descriptives

12. Sample Descriptives

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

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

17. Logistic Regression Modeling Odds of Privacy Related Behaviors Less VisibleLast MonthNever ChangedPublic Profile 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

18. 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

19. Logistic Regression Modeling Odds of Accepting Friend Request from Person already known / not known 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

20. 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

21. Logistic Regression Modeling Odds of Using a Nickname of Facebook 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

22. 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

23. 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)

24. 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.

25. Instead: Strategic disclosure

26. Instead: Cost/benefit analysis

27. Instead: Impression Management

28. Instead: Adaptation and Change

29. Thank you! Questions? By Zeynep Tufekci Assistant Professor University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Twitter: @techsoc zeynep@unc.edu