Anonymity and Language Usage: A Natural Experiment of Social Network Integration

The Internet creates an anonymous and non-authoritarian environment where people do not have social inhibitions and can express opinions freely. However, such disinhibition at times leads to abusive use of language and uncivil behavior in the online environment. This paper leverages data from a natural experiment on an online review platform that integrated social network platform personalization features, which exposes users in an anonymous environment to a social environment. Interestingly, our preliminary findings show that after the social network platform integration, users express more emotions (specifically, they become more positive but less negative), are less likely to use inappropriate language that include sexually explicit words or words that shows rage. Further, users are less egocentric and more social in their language use. We discuss the implication of this study for creating a civil online environment

Social Login Acceptance: A DIF Study of Differential Factors

Social login has become an increasingly popular alternative for traditional user registration. Although a single sign-on protocol is commonly considered to have the advantage of removing barriers at the registration stage, mismanagement of these technological features may lead to user turnover or abandonment. Thus, a better understanding of who may better accept social login for which type of service is essential for a business that decides to adopt social login protocols. This research in progress tested various user characteristics using a differential item functioning approach that aims to explore systematic differences from user groups (rather than individual differences from latent traits) for social login acceptance

Users’ Acceptance Study of OAuth Manager Module for Social Login in Mobile Environment

Social login is a way that allows social network users to use their credential to log in to other applications. Currently, many developers make use of Open Authorization (OAuth) protocol to implement social login (SL). The design of OAuth protocol works well on workstations and desktops as they uniformly use web browsers to access web applications. However, it is exposed to security issues when it is moved to the mobile environment. Although native mobile applications are installed on the mobile devices, this protocol will call system browsers to complete the task; hence, exposing users to token redirection attacks. In overcoming the issue, this study attempts to evaluate a method called OAuth Manager Module (OMM) that aims to improve the security of this protocol in a mobile environment. It provides client isolation to prevent malicious actions during the social login process. A controlled experiment was conducted to evaluate user acceptance towards OMM. A within-subject design was conducted on thirty participants who participated in this study on a voluntary basis. The results show that users perceived OMM useful and easy-to-use compared to social login with system browser. However, in overall, users are still worried about the security of using social logins on mobile devices. This study can further serve as a foundation for various research on the security aspect of social login

Social login privacy alert: Does it improve privacy awareness of Facebook users?

Social login (SL) allows web application providers to obtain authentication service from social network providers for users who own the social network accounts. By approving a consent dialogue, users are granted access to the web applications when login using the SL. It also allows web application providers to access personal information that is associated with the users’ social network credentials (SNC). This can be a source to privacy leakage if the users simply approve the consent dialogue without understanding the contents. Therefore, this research intends to explore users’ privacy awareness when they login to web applications using SL for the first time particularly using Facebook SNC. An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effects of SL permission messages on users’ privacy awareness. The results suggested that the permission message with privacy alert has significantly increased the participants’ awareness on the privacy of their personal information obtained through SNC. The outcome of this study provides an opportunity as a guide to increase users’ awareness on the privacy of their personal information obtained from SNC

Riskmedvetenhet vid användning av sociala medier

Sociala medier utsätter dess användare för risker, i vissa fall kan det handla om enklare malware och i andra fall allvarligare angrepp som identitetsstöld och andra stöldförsök. I undersökningen har vi sett att användare av sociala medier har en bra medvetenhet om säkerhet och risker men att de inte alltid agerar utifrån detta när de använder medierna. I tidigare studier ser vi att ålder spelar in i hur medvetna användarna är och att användare i åldern 20-30 är mer medvetna än ungdomar som är 14-19 år. Uppsatsen tar också ett första steg i att försöka uppmana till vidare studier kring game scams på sociala medier. Nyckelord: Sociala media, Riskmedvetenhet, Game sca

Ett internet i förändring - Om användarnas syn på det sociala beteendeklimatet online

In a survey, 91 people answered questions about their habits on the internet, with special focus on the behavioral climate and the respondents own thoughts on the develop- ment of the social milieu online. The answers from the survey highlights tendencies which are then investigated through participant observations in the online game League of Legends. I start off with the thought of investigating if we are in a process of self-regulation in terms of the users’ behavior towards one another. In part I mean that both the users and those providing the services that the users utilize work actively in a regulatory purpose. With the help of social logins, deanonymization of the users and different rating and reporting systems, the companies that supply the services help the users to apply social pressure on those who break, both the rules and the social norms

Open Access to Telecommunications Infrastructure and Digital Services: Competition, Cooperation and Regulation

Open Access, defined as the non-discriminatory access to an upstream bottleneck resource, takes a central role in information and communications technology markets. This thesis investigates the competitive and cooperative interactions in these markets, where firms require access to an essential input resource. Theoretical analyses and experimental evaluations are employed to examine market outcomes under alternative regulatory institutions and voluntary access agreements

Informational Privacy and Self-Disclosure Online: A Critical Mixed-Methods Approach to Social Media

This thesis investigates the multifaceted processes that have contributed to normalising identifiable self-disclosure in online environments and how perceptions of informational privacy and self-disclosure behavioural patterns have evolved in the relatively brief history of online communication. Its investigative mixed-methods approach critically examines a wide and diverse variety of primary and secondary sources and material to bring together aspects of the social dynamics that have contributed to the generalised identifiable self-disclosure. This research also utilises the results of the exploratory statistical as well as qualitative analysis of an extensive online survey completed by UCL students as a snapshot in time. This is combined with arguments developed from an analysis of existing published sources and looks ahead to possible future developments. This study examines the time when people online proved to be more trusting, and how users of the Internet responded to the development of the growing societal need to share personal information online. It addresses issues of privacy ethics and how they evolved over time to allow a persistent association of online self-disclosure to real-life identity that had not been seen before the emergence of social network sites. The resistance to identifiable self-disclosure before the widespread use of social network sites was relatively resolved by a combination of elements and circumstances. Some of these result from the demographics of young users, users' attitudes to deception, ideology and trust-building processes. Social and psychological factors, such as gaining social capital, peer pressure and the overall rewarding and seductive nature of social media, have led users to waive significant parts of their privacy in order to receive the perceived benefits. The sociohistorical context allows this research to relate evolving phenomena like the privacy paradox, lateral surveillance and self-censorship to the revamped ethics of online privacy and self-disclosure

Data as a Competitive Resource: Essays on Market Power, Data Sharing, and Data Portability

Data is an important competitive resource in digital online markets. As a result, the access and availability of data can be the basis for a competitive advantage. This thesis analyzes the role and competitive effects of data in digital markets and contributes to an improved understanding of data as a (potential) basis for market power. Thereby, the thesis also contributes to the ongoing policy debate on how to safeguard a fair and open competitive environment for internet-based digital (i.e., online) services as well as traditional services. In doing so, Study 1 surveys the literature and discusses (i) the challenges that are associated with assessing market power in digital markets, (ii) the challenges in creating a level playing field in digital markets, e.g., by harmonizing regulatory obligations for online and offline services, and (iii) the vital role of data and data protection in the context of data-driven business models. Study 2 and Study 3 focus on the competitive effects of transferring data between online competitors. The study on social logins (Study 2) highlights the strategic effects as well as welfare implications if competing online services deliberately and voluntarily decide to share user and usage data. Whereas Study 2 abstracts from the user’s decision how much data to provide to an online service, Study 3 focuses on the amount of data that firms require for their services and that is provided by users. In particular, Study 3 investigates the competitive and welfare effects of a new fundamental consumer right: The right to data portability. This right is part of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which becomes effective in May 2018 for all online services available to users in the European Union and allows users to transfer their personal data from one online service to another (competing) online service (c.f., GDPR Article 20). In this context, the study examines the firms’ strategic reactions to the introduction of such a right and identifies the ensuing market outcomes as well as policy and managerial implications. In conclusion, this doctoral thesis contributes to an improved understanding of (i) the competitive effects that arise from data as an economic good or valuable asset for digital services, and (ii) the aspects that may constitute market power in digital markets. Moreover, from a policy perspective, the thesis can be understood as a theoretically founded research project that (i) informs which market failures may arise in the context of digital (data-driven) markets and that (ii) highlights the peculiarities that need to be considered to define appropriate legal requirements in order to establish a level playing field between online services and traditional (established) services, but also between competing online services. Therefore, the thesis also contributes to the discussion on whether and how dominant online platforms should and can be regulated