Crime threats online : social media policy vs perception

Abstract

This study explore the perception of risk and safety felt by social media users, whilst on social media sites and their knowledge of the ‘privacy policy’ and the ‘terms and conditions’ documents presented by these companies. Surveys were conducted on 252 participants, of a multitude of age groups, which use social media sites on a regular basis. The social media sites this study primarily focused on were; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, all of which fall under the Facebook company. The main findings of this study shows that social media users are aware of the risks they may face when using these site so openly. Despite this they admit to not reading the aforementioned ‘privacy policy’ and ‘terms and conditions’ documents before agreeing to them, during registration on these sites. This study highlights a need for awareness on the importance of these documents, and the elevated potential risks users may encounter in the continuation of these habits.