The Contextual Accomplishment of Privacy

Abstract

This study illustrates how different genres of social media use relate to contextual accomplishment of privacy. Information on privacy attitudes and behaviors and the uses and gratifications (U&G) of social media was gathered through a survey from 353 social media users and analyzed using multivariate multiple regression. Results indicate that social media privacy activities take place at multiple levels, are engaged at points of Internet and application access, and are socially enacted and technologically reinforced. Further, we demonstrate that certain contexts of social media use result in specific privacy-producing behaviors within this hierarchy. These findings provide empirical support for Nissenbaum’s framework of privacy as a contextual practice, as they demonstrate that privacy behaviors adapt to the situated use of social media.