Conceal or reveal: (non)disclosure choices in online information sharing

Yefim Shulman, Agnieszka Kitkowska, Mark Warner and Joachim Meyer

Behaviour and Information Technology, 2024, vol. 43, issue 16, 4125-4149

Abstract: People typically enhance their online personas by sharing favourable personal information. Nevertheless, sharing of unfavourable information about oneself still occurs and is essential in some online contexts (e.g. allowing negative reviews). It remains unclear why people reveal potentially damaging information. We conducted an online experiment ($N = 462$N=462) to explore the effects of feedback properties and individual characteristics on online information sharing in two contexts (social and socioeconomic) where personal ratings are essential. We allowed users to conceal their personal rating if it dropped below a threshold. The context was the primary determinant of the threshold users chose. Control availability and feedback content triggered additional considerations and caused some users to change their (non)disclosure choices. However, many users relied on their priors (experience, assumptions) rather than on new information. Our findings show how people may fail to identify the impact of nondisclosure, which may signal undesirable information to others. These findings challenge the reliance on holding users solely accountable for their ‘informedness’ vis-à-vis disclosure of their personal information.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2024.2304613

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