Abstract

Millions of people worldwide visit social network sites (SNSs) daily, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. We examined a model based on the privacy calculus theory to better understand and determine what motivates users to disclose personal information on SNSs in Saudi Arabia. A total of 550 respondents participated in an online survey. The analysis results indicate that Saudi SNS users are primarily motivated by the convenience of maintaining and developing new relationships, self-presentation, and platform enjoyment. The results also indicate that privacy risks are a critical barrier to information disclosure. However, users become less concerned about privacy risks—and are thus more likely to disclose personal information—if they trust other SNS members and the service provider. Trust in the service provider increases if privacy control options are provided. In addition, the results show that gender influences the motivations to self-disclose personal information. Based on the analysis results, recommendations for service providers are provided.

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