Social Media Applications Under the Microscope: The Critical Role of Perceived Privacy in Sustained User Engagement
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, social media applications (SMAs) have become integral to how billions communicate, share, and consume content worldwide. However, despite their ubiquity, the underlying assumptions about privacy within these platforms remain nebulous and often inadequately addressed. This lack of clarity exposes millions of users to significant privacy risks, warranting a deeper investigation into how perceived privacy influences the continual usage of SMAs. Recent academic inquiry framed by the seminal DeLone and McLean Information System Success (ISS) model offers an enlightening perspective on this issue, revealing the crucial moderating role of perceived privacy in enhancing user retention and trust.
Social media platforms inherently require users to disclose personal information, ranging from identity attributes to social connections, making privacy issues more pronounced than in many other technological domains. Users not only curate personal profiles but also become nodes within expansive social networks, allowing large volumes of attribute-based data to be publicly or semi-publicly available. This data aggregation increases the potential for privacy breaches, unauthorized secondary use, and heightened user vulnerability. Studies have consistently shown that while users often exhibit complacency in safeguarding their private information, they remain deeply concerned about privacy violations, leading to a paradoxical user behavior that complicates trust dynamics on SMAs.
The construct of perceived privacy, therefore, emerges as a pivotal factor in determining how users interact with social media platforms over time. Perceived privacy refers to the extent to which users believe the platform appropriately protects and secures their personal information against unauthorized access and misuse. This perception may be shaped by the platform’s transparency, data handling policies, and the user’s prior experiences or knowledge about privacy risks. When users trust that their private information will not be exploited or disclosed to unintended third parties, their confidence in the platform increases, which is a critical antecedent to sustained engagement.
Integrating the concept of perceived privacy into the DeLone and McLean ISS model allows for an enriched understanding of the determinants of continual social media usage. Traditionally, this model assesses system quality, information quality, and service quality as primary drivers influencing user satisfaction, intention to use, and actual usage behavior. However, introducing perceived privacy as a moderator reveals nuanced interactions. For example, high system quality, characterized by reliability, usability, and responsiveness, may only translate into continued usage if users also feel assured about privacy. Without this psychological security, even the best-designed systems could fail to retain users.
Similarly, service quality – encompassing timely support, user assistance, and seamless interactions – gains a stronger positive effect on ongoing user engagement when coupled with optimistic perceptions of privacy protection. Users are more likely to forgive minor service lapses or challenges if they believe their private data remains confidential and shielded from external exploitation. Conversely, if privacy concerns dominate user consciousness, grievances related to service may exacerbate dissatisfaction and prompt attrition.
Information quality, a critical pillar denoting accuracy, relevance, and completeness of the data presented within the platform, likewise sees augmented influence through perceived privacy. When users trust that the information they provide and receive is handled discretely, their willingness to interact and contribute increases substantially. Perceived privacy essentially acts as a psychological catalyst, enhancing the functional benefits derived from high-quality information, and thereby strengthening users’ commitment to the platform.
Empirical findings underscoring these relationships emerge from recent multidisciplinary studies examining user behaviors on electronic platforms across diverse sociocultural contexts. These investigations demonstrate that users’ privacy concerns often lead to adverse responses if breaches are perceived or if data collection is seen as invasive. The erosion of trust stemming from privacy violations correlates strongly with diminished user satisfaction and decreased frequency of platform usage, validating the essential nature of privacy as a determinant of information system success in social media contexts.
The complexity of privacy perceptions and their impact on user behavior also highlight gaps in prevailing theoretical frameworks, compelling researchers to consider moderating variables in ISS models more carefully. While foundational models acknowledge potential moderators, explicit modeling of perceived privacy’s role within relationships among system quality, service quality, information quality, and continued usage remains underexplored. This oversight reduces the explanatory power of such models and calls for refined conceptualizations integrating behavioral and psychological dimensions.
Moreover, the interplay between technology attributes and human factors suggests that system designers and platform managers need to prioritize privacy not only as a compliance or technical challenge but as a strategic imperative that directly affects user loyalty and platform viability. Transparent communication of privacy policies, implementation of robust security measures, and user empowerment tools for privacy control can strengthen perceived privacy, thereby accelerating sustained adoption and usage of SMAs.
From a practical standpoint, social media companies that invest in enhancing users’ perceptions of privacy will likely experience more robust retention rates. This includes efforts to limit data sharing with third parties, prevent unauthorized secondary usage, and enable users to manage information visibility actively. The heightened awareness and sensitivity towards privacy in the digital age necessitate proactive measures to foster trust, which ultimately translates into continued usage and positive word-of-mouth.
Furthermore, the dynamic nature of privacy concerns requires that platforms not only secure data but also evolve privacy protections in response to emerging threats and regulatory landscapes. Continual assessment and refinement of privacy frameworks can align users’ expectations with actual data practices, thus reinforcing confidence and the positive associations between system/service/information quality and user engagement.
As social media platforms remain integral to digital life, understanding the psychological underpinnings of user relationships with these technologies is more crucial than ever. Perceived privacy functions as a linchpin in this interaction, mediating the effects of fundamental system characteristics on behavior. This insight invites ongoing interdisciplinary research and multi-dimensional strategies to safeguard users’ rights and foster vibrant, enduring digital communities.
The convergence of technical excellence with ethical data stewardship promises to reshape how social media applications sustain their user base in the era of heightened privacy scrutiny. Beyond technical considerations, cultivating a culture of privacy respect can transform social media ecosystems—turning potential vulnerabilities into competitive advantages and securing the digital trust necessary for future innovation.
Ultimately, the findings from studies leveraging the DeLone and McLean ISS model reaffirm that in social media contexts, successful systems are not defined solely by their operational or informational merits but equally by the assurances they provide users regarding privacy. This dual focus empowers platforms to unlock sustained usage patterns essential for continued growth and relevance in an increasingly connected world.
Subject of Research: Social media applications and the role of perceived privacy in continual usage through the lens of DeLone and McLean’s information system success model.
Article Title: Social media applications through the lens of DeLone and McLean’s information system success model: does perceived privacy matter?
Article References:
Salisu, I., Sappri, M.M., Omar, M.F. et al. Social media applications through the lens of DeLone and McLean’s information system success model: does perceived privacy matter?. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1028 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05010-8
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