Online social networks (OSNs) are used frequently by many people as most businesses are solemnly rooted to social media presence and also the generic human need to connect and share experiences with others. However, users are increasingly concerned that their data might be breached and end up in the hands of unauthorized individuals or groups exposing personal data to the danger of being misused. This study examined OSN users' self-disclosure by identifying the types of information they reveal about themselves and their proclivity to reveal personal information to the public. The study investigated whether users' privacy concerns and perceptions influenced their behavior on OSNs in terms of using privacy settings and disclosing personal information. An online survey was used to collect data and answer the research questions. The survey's focus is on participants' Instagram activities. This study accomplished its goal of investigating the degree of privacy intrusion in popular social networks and the extent to which active users of such social networks are aware of privacy concerns using Instagram as a case study by developing a survey and obtaining responses from over 100 active Instagram users about their experience, attitude, and concerns about potential privacy exposure. This research concludes that many users make little to no effort to learn about and reduce privacy risks because they haven't been affected by them thus far.

Authors: A.S. Okelade, O.O. Abereowo, A.O. Oronti, O.Y. Ogunlola, B.K. Alese

Published in: International Conference for Internet Technology and Secured Transactions (ICITST-2023)

• Date of Conference: 13-15 November 2023
• DOI: 10.20533/ICITST.2023.0024
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-63-1
• Conference Location: St Anne’s College, Oxford University, UK