Users’ perception of Facebook data use and data privacy concerns: the Nigerian case

Uwagbai, Anne Emem (2023) Users’ perception of Facebook data use and data privacy concerns: the Nigerian case. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

The study investgated Nigerian Facebook users’ perception of Facebook’s data use and data privacy concerns from the perspective of the sense making theory, the theory of planned behaviour and the privacy calculus theory. It evaluated the users’ information sharing and seeking behaviour when using the platform, factors that promoted and impeded information seeking behaviour, differences in Facebook use across different population groups, level of awareness of Facebook’s data mining business model, level of trust in Facebook and the magnitude, causes and impact of data privacy concerns. A mixed methods research approach was adopted as the study involved collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data was collected through 30 semi-structured interviews involving Facebook users in Nigeria. The quantitative data was collected through an online survey that involved 389 respondents that were Facebook users in Nigeria. The qualitative data collected was evaluated through the thematic content analysis approach while the quantitative data collected was analysed through statistical analysis using SPSS. The study’s findings make an innovative contribution to existing knowledge on Nigerian Facebook users’ information sharing and seeking behaviour, data privacy concerns and trust in the platform from the perspective of the sense making theory, the theory of planned behaviour and the privacy calculus model. At the time of this study, there was limited literature coverage of the above issues from the perspective of the sense making theory, the theory of planned behaviour and the privacy calculus model. From a sense making perspective, the findings of the study indicated that regardless of Nigerian Facebook users’ level of education attainment, ethnicity, and occupation, they were likely to primarily use Facebook for purposes of content sharing and entertainment. The study’s findings indicated that data privacy concerns among Facebook users in Nigeria negatively impacted their intention to share information on the platform.