Information Sharing on Social Networking Websites: Antecedents and Consequences of Trust

Abstract

Social networking websites (SNS) facilitate communication and information sharing between people. Media have reported significant concerns of SNS users regarding their privacy. SNS have tried to address these privacy concerns by introducing controlling features. This study investigates the issue of trust in SNS, its predictors, and its consequences. We suggest that three categories of factors should be considered for the study of social networking websites: (1) website characteristics, (2) environmental factors, and (3) personal factors. We find that trust in the website is a significant predictor of SNS information sharing. We also find that personal factors, such as privacy concerns and trust propensity and social presence, a website characteristic, are significant predictors of trust in SNS. The findings show similarities and differences between the context of e-commerce and SNS. We provide implications for research and practice as well as direction for future research.