Exploring Factors on Privacy Paradox among the U.S. Social Media Users: A Case Study of TikTok

• In Event: Unveiling the Digital Underworld: Exploring Identity Theft, Social Media Privacy Paradox, and AI's Influence on Cybercrime

Abstract

TikTok, a globally popular social media platform, has gained immense popularity, attracting over nearly half of the U.S. population. Despite its success, TikTok has been plagued by persistent privacy concerns for the past five years. This intersection of widespread TikTok usage and privacy concerns has created a compelling privacy paradox, where users continue engaging with the platform despite recognizing associated risks. Addressing the challenges of the current approach, this research project aims to delve into this privacy paradox, employing a quantitative methodology to understand the factors driving U.S. TikTok users to persist in their usage amidst privacy and security uncertainties. The purpose of this study is to bridge gaps in current literature and provide a more well-rounded and inclusive solution to enhance user awareness of privacy issues in the digital age. We plan to survey 2000 U.S. TikTok users via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform to address two research questions - 1) To what extent do U.S. TikTok users perceive the risks and benefits associated with the platform? and 2) What are the primary factors influencing U.S. TikTok users' decisions to continue using the platform despite privacy and security concerns? Policy implications will be suggested.

Authors

• Sinyong Choi, Kennesaw State University

• Lisa Thompson Lee, Kennesaw State University