article

Privacy perception and protection on Chinese social media: a case study of WeChat

Authors:

Zhen Troy Chen,

Ming CheungAuthors Info & Claims

Ethics and Information Technology, Volume 20, Issue 4

Pages 279 - 289

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-018-9480-6

Published: 01 December 2018 Publication History

Abstract

In this study, the under-examined area of privacy perception and protection on Chinese social media is investigated. The prevalence of digital technology shapes the social, political and cultural aspects of the lives of urban young adults. The influential Chinese social media platform WeChat is taken as a case study, and the ease of connection, communication and transaction combined with issues of commercialisation and surveillance are discussed in the framework of the privacy paradox. Protective behaviour and tactics are examined through different perceptions of privacy in the digital age. The findings of this study suggest that users possess certain amount of freedoms on WeChat. However, users' individual privacy attitudes and behaviour in practice suggest they have a declined sense of their own freedom and right to privacy. A privacy paradox exists when users, while holding a high level of concerns, in reality do little to further the protection of their personal information on WeChat. We argue that once a user has ingrained part of their social engagement within the WeChat system, the incentive for them to remain a part of the system outweighs their requirement to secure their privacy online as their decision-making is largely based on a simple cost-benefit analysis. The power and social capital yielded via WeChat is too valuable to give up as WeChat is widely used not only for private conversations, but also for study or work-related purposes. It further blurs the boundaries between the public, the professional and the private, which is a rather unique case compared with other social media around the world.

References

[1]

Al-Kandari, A., Melkote, S. R., & Sharif, A. (2016). Needs and motives of Instagram users that predict self-disclosure use: A case study of young adults in Kuwait. Journal of Creative Communications, 11(2), 85-101.

[2]

Bae, Y. H., Jun, J. W., & Hough, M. (2016). Uses and gratifications of digital signage and relationships with user interface. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 28(5), 323-331.

[3]

Bartsch, M., & Dienlin, T. (2016). Control your Facebook: An analysis of online privacy literacy. Computers in Human Behavior, 56, 147-154.

Digital Library

[4]

Büchi, M., Just, N., & Latzer, M. (2017). Caring is not enough: The importance of Internet skills for online privacy protection. Information, Communication & Society, 20(8), 1261-1278.

[5]

Choi, B. C., Jiang, Z., Xiao, B., & Kim, S. (2015). Embarrassing exposures in online social networks: An integrated perspective of privacy invasion and relationship bonding. Information Systems Research, 26(4), 675-694.

[6]

Clover, C. (2017). Overloaded China users battle 'WeChat fatigue'. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/51dfa598-0189-11e6-99cb-83242733f755.

[7]

Debatin, B., Lovejoy, J. P., Horn, A. K., & Hughes, B. N. (2009). Facebook and online privacy: Attitudes, behaviors, and unintended consequences. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 15(1), 83-108.

[8]

Dhir, A., Kaur, P., Chen, S., & Lonka, K. (2016). Understanding online regret experience in Facebook use--effects of brand participation, accessibility and problematic use. Computers in Human Behavior, 59, 420-430.

Digital Library

[9]

Du, P. (2015). Intercultural communication in the Chinese workplace. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

[10]

Fei, X. (1992). From the soil, the foundations of Chinese society: A translation of Fei Xiaotong's Xiangtu Zhongguo (G. G. Hamilton & Z. Wang, Trans.). Berkeley: University of California Press.

[11]

Fisk, S. T., & Neuberg, S. L. (1990). A continuum of impression formation, from category-based to individuating processes: Influences of information and motivation on attention and interpretation. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 23, 1-74.

[12]

Fox, J., & Moreland, J. (2015). The dark side of social networking sites: An exploration of the relational and psychological stressors associated with Facebook use and affordances. Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 168-176.

Digital Library

[13]

Fulco, M. (2017). The WeChat economy, from messaging to payment and more. Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. http://knowledge.ckgsb.edu.cn/2017/08/28/mobile-commerce/wechat-economy-messaging-wechat-pay/.

[14]

Fulton, J. M., & Kibby, M. D. (2017). Millennials and the normalization of surveillance on Facebook. Continuum-Journal of Media & Culture Studies, 31(2), 189-199.

[15]

Hodkinson, P. (2017). Bedrooms and beyond: Youth, identity and privacy on social network sites. New Media & Society, 19(2), 272-288.

[16]

Jeong, Y., & Coyle, E. (2014). What are you worrying about on Facebook and Twitter? An empirical investigation of young social network site users' privacy perceptions and behaviors. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 14(2), 51-59.

[17]

Jeong, Y., & Kim, Y. (2017). Privacy concerns on social networking sites: Interplay among posting types, content, and audiences. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 302-310.

Digital Library

[18]

Kokolakis, S. (2017). Privacy attitudes and privacy behaviour: A review of current research on the privacy paradox phenomenon. Computers & Security, 64, 122-134.

Digital Library

[19]

Lee, H., Park, H., & Kim, J. (2013). Why do people share their context information on social network services? A qualitative study and an experimental study on users' behavior of balancing perceived benefit and risk. International Journal of Human Computer Studies, 71(9), 862-877.

Digital Library

[20]

Li, H. S. (2016). Narrative dissidence, spoof videos and alternative memory in China. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 19(5), 501-517.

[21]

McLaren, R. M., Dillard, J. P., Tusing, K. J., & Solomon, D. H. (2014). Relational framing theory: Utterance form and relational context as antecedents of frame salience. Communication Quarterly, 62(5), 518-535.

[22]

McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L., & Cook, J. M. (2001). Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 415-444.

[23]

Morando, F., Iemma, R., & Raiteri, E. (2014). Privacy evaluation: What empirical research on users' valuation of personal data tells us. Internet Policy Review, 3(2), 1-11.

[24]

Norberg, P. A., Horne, D., & Horne, D. (2007). The privacy paradox: Personal information disclosure intentions versus behaviors. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 41(1), 100-126.

[25]

Raacke, J., & Bonds-Raacke, J. (2008). MySpace and Facebook: Applying the uses and gratifications theory to exploring friendnetworking sites. Cyberpsychology Behavior, 11(2), 169-174.

[26]

Rachels, J. (1975). Why privacy is important. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 4(4), 323-333.

[27]

Rubinstein, I. S. (2013). Big data: The end of privacy or a new beginning? International Data Privacy Law, 3(2), 74-87.

[28]

Smith, C. (2018). 110 amazing WeChat statistics and facts (January 2018). DMR. https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/wechat-statistics/.

[29]

Smith, H. J., Milberg, S. J., & Burke, S. J. (1996). Information privacy: Measuring individuals' concerns about organizational practices. MIS Quarterly, 20(2), 167-196.

Digital Library

[30]

Spottswood, E. L., & Hancock, J. T. (2017). Should I share that? Prompting social norms that influence privacy behaviors on a social networking site. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 22(2), 55-70.

Digital Library

[31]

Tengyun. (2017). Creator economy: A new era of the 'Internet + Cultural and Creative'--social reception, industry ecology and policy system. Beijing: Development Research Centre of the State Council, Tencent Social Research Centre.

[32]

Walsh, M. J., & Baker, S. A. (2017). The selfie and the transformation of the public-private distinction. Information, Communication & Society, 20(8), 1185-1203.

[33]

Walther, J. B., Van Der Heide, B., Kim, S. Y., Westerman, D., & Tong, S. T. (2008). The role of friends' appearance and behavior on evaluations of individuals on Facebook: Are we known by the company we keep? Human Communication Research, 34(1), 28-49.

[34]

Yang, C.-C., Brown, B. B., & Braun, M. T. (2014). From Facebook to cell calls: Layers of electronic intimacy in college students' interpersonal relationships. New Media & Society, 16(1), 5-23.

[35]

Young, A. L., & Quan-Haase, A. (2013). Privacy protection strategies on Facebook: The Internet privacy paradox revisited. Information, Communication & Society, 16(4), 479-500.

[36]

Zarouali, B., Ponnet, K., Walrave, M., & Poels, K. (2017). "Do you like cookies?" Adolescents' skeptical processing of retargeted Facebook-ads and the moderating role of privacy concern and a textual debriefing. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 157-165.

Digital Library

[37]

Zlatolas, L., Welzer, T., Hericko, M., & Holbl, M. (2015). Privacy antecedents for SNS self-disclosure: The case of Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 158-167.

Digital Library

Cited By

Liu YWu YLi CSong CHsu W(2024)Does displaying one's IP location influence users' privacy behavior on social media? Evidence from China's WeiboTelecommunications Policy10.1016/j.telpol.2024.10275948:5Online publication date: 17-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.telpol.2024.102759
Nusair KKaratepe OOkumus FAlfarhan UShi F(2024)Exploring the pivotal role of community engagement on tourists’ behaviors in social mediaInternational Journal of Information Management: The Journal for Information Professionals10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.10270174:COnline publication date: 27-Feb-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102701
Zhang YXie YLi LLiang YYu H(2024)How is public discussion as reflected in WeChat articles different from scholarly research in China? An empirical study of metaverseScientometrics10.1007/s11192-023-04892-2129:1(473-495)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s11192-023-04892-2
Show More Cited By

Recommendations

A Survey on Privacy in Social Media: Identification, Mitigation, and Applications

The increasing popularity of social media has attracted a huge number of people to participate in numerous activities on a daily basis. This results in tremendous amounts of rich user-generated data. These data provide opportunities for researchers and ...
Will Digital Fluency Influence Social Media Use?: An Empirical Study of WeChat Users

Social media has increasingly been used in both personal and professional communications. Past studies note that individuals of digital fluency present distinctive behaviors in technology use. However, limited research has explored how digital fluency ...
One Social Movement, Two Social Media Sites: A Comparative Study of Public Discourses

Social media have become central places where public discourses are generated, sustained, and circulated around public events. So far, much research has examined large-scale dissemination patterns of prominent statements, opinions, and slogans ...

Comments

Please enable JavaScript to view thecomments powered by Disqus.

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image Ethics and Information Technology

Ethics and Information Technology Volume 20, Issue 4

December 2018

76 pages

ISSN:1388-1957

Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © Copyright © 2018 Springer Nature B.V.

Publisher

Kluwer Academic Publishers

United States

Publication History

Published: 01 December 2018

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Article

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

7
Total Citations
View Citations
0
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)0
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0

Reflects downloads up to 10 Nov 2024

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Liu YWu YLi CSong CHsu W(2024)Does displaying one's IP location influence users' privacy behavior on social media? Evidence from China's WeiboTelecommunications Policy10.1016/j.telpol.2024.10275948:5Online publication date: 17-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.telpol.2024.102759
Nusair KKaratepe OOkumus FAlfarhan UShi F(2024)Exploring the pivotal role of community engagement on tourists’ behaviors in social mediaInternational Journal of Information Management: The Journal for Information Professionals10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.10270174:COnline publication date: 27-Feb-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102701
Zhang YXie YLi LLiang YYu H(2024)How is public discussion as reflected in WeChat articles different from scholarly research in China? An empirical study of metaverseScientometrics10.1007/s11192-023-04892-2129:1(473-495)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s11192-023-04892-2
Chen MEngelmann SGrossklags JConitzer VTasioulas JScheutz MCalo RMara MZimmermann A(2022)Ordinary People as Moral Heroes and FoesProceedings of the 2022 AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society10.1145/3514094.3534180(181-191)Online publication date: 26-Jul-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3514094.3534180
Wiefling STolsdorf JLo Iacono L(2022)Data Protection Officers’ Perspectives on Privacy Challenges in Digital EcosystemsComputer Security. ESORICS 2022 International Workshops10.1007/978-3-031-25460-4_13(228-247)Online publication date: 26-Sep-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-031-25460-4_13
Pandey SChen J(2021)Is Facebook Easier to Use than WeChat?Proceedings of the 39th ACM International Conference on Design of Communication10.1145/3472714.3473644(213-223)Online publication date: 12-Oct-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3472714.3473644
Jacobson JGruzd A(2020)Cybervetting job applicants on social media: the new normal?Ethics and Information Technology10.1007/s10676-020-09526-222:2(175-195)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10676-020-09526-2

View Options

View options

Get Access

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Full Access

Get this Publication

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

View Issue’s Table of Contents