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Article
Publication date: 12 June 2017

David Sánchez and Alexandre Viejo

The purpose of this paper is to propose a privacy-preserving paradigm for open data sharing based on the following foundations: subjects have unique privacy requirements; personal…

1469

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a privacy-preserving paradigm for open data sharing based on the following foundations: subjects have unique privacy requirements; personal data are usually published incrementally in different sources; and privacy has a time-dependent element.

Design/methodology/approach

This study first discusses the privacy threats related to open data sharing. Next, these threats are tackled by proposing a new privacy-preserving paradigm. The main challenges related to the enforcement of the paradigm are discussed, and some suitable solutions are identified.

Findings

Classic privacy-preserving mechanisms are ineffective against observers constantly monitoring and aggregating pieces of personal data released through the internet. Moreover, these methods do not consider individual privacy needs.

Research limitations/implications

This study characterizes the challenges to the tackled by a new paradigm and identifies some promising works, but further research proposing specific technical solutions is suggested.

Practical implications

This work provides a natural solution to dynamic and heterogeneous open data sharing scenarios that require user-controlled personalized privacy protection.

Social implications

There is an increasing social understanding of the privacy threats that the uncontrolled collection and exploitation of personal data may produce. The new paradigm allows subjects to be aware of the risks inherent to their data and to control their release.

Originality/value

Contrary to classic data protection mechanisms, the new proposal centers privacy protection on the individuals, and considers the privacy risks through the whole life cycle of the data release.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 41 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 May 2014

Rachel L. Finn and Kush Wadhwa

This paper aims to study the ethics of “smart” advertising and regulatory initiatives in the consumer intelligence industry. Increasingly, online behavioural advertising…

3997

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study the ethics of “smart” advertising and regulatory initiatives in the consumer intelligence industry. Increasingly, online behavioural advertising strategies, especially in the mobile media environment, are being integrated with other existing and emerging technologies to create new techniques based on “smart” surveillance practices. These “smart” surveillance practices have ethical impacts including identifiability, inequality, a chilling effect, the objectification, exploitation and manipulation of consumers as well as information asymmetries. This article examines three regulatory initiatives – privacy-by-design considerations, the proposed General Data Protection Regulation of the EU and the US Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2013 – that have sought to address the privacy and data protection issues associated with these practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors performed a critical literature review of academic, grey and journalistic publications surrounding behavioural advertising to identify the capabilities of existing and emerging advertising practices and their potential ethical impacts. This information was used to explore how well-proposed regulatory mechanisms might address current and emerging ethical and privacy issues in the emerging mobile media environment.

Findings

The article concludes that all three regulatory initiatives fall short of providing adequate consumer and citizen protection in relation to online behavioural advertising as well as “smart” advertising.

Originality/value

The article demonstrates that existing and proposed regulatory initiatives need to be amended to provide adequate citizen protection and describes how a focus on privacy and data protection does not address all of the ethical issues raised.

Details

info, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6697

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 November 2022

Yaqi Liu, Shuzhen Fang, Lingyu Wang, Chong Huan and Ruixue Wang

In recent years, personalized recommendations have facilitated easy access to users' personal information and historical interactions, thereby improving recommendation…

Abstract

Purpose

In recent years, personalized recommendations have facilitated easy access to users' personal information and historical interactions, thereby improving recommendation effectiveness. However, due to privacy risk concerns, it is essential to balance the accuracy of personalized recommendations with privacy protection. Accordingly, this paper aims to propose a neural graph collaborative filtering personalized recommendation framework based on federated transfer learning (FTL-NGCF), which achieves high-quality personalized recommendations with privacy protection.

Design/methodology/approach

FTL-NGCF uses a third-party server to coordinate local users to train the graph neural networks (GNN) model. Each user client integrates user–item interactions into the embedding and uploads the model parameters to a server. To prevent attacks during communication and thus promote privacy preservation, the authors introduce homomorphic encryption to ensure secure model aggregation between clients and the server.

Findings

Experiments on three real data sets (Gowalla, Yelp2018, Amazon-Book) show that FTL-NGCF improves the recommendation performance in terms of recall and NDCG, based on the increased consideration of privacy protection relative to original federated learning methods.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous research has considered federated transfer learning framework for GNN-based recommendation. It can be extended to other recommended applications while maintaining privacy protection.

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2019

Joanna Strycharz, Guda van Noort, Natali Helberger and Edith Smit

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into personalisation from a practitioner’s perspective to bridge the practitioner-academia gap and steer the research agenda. A…

7542

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into personalisation from a practitioner’s perspective to bridge the practitioner-academia gap and steer the research agenda. A wide scope of research has investigated personalisation from a consumer perspective. The current study aims at bridging the consumer and practitioner perspective by entering into a dialogue about the practical application of personalisation. It takes the personalisation process model by Vesanen and Raulas (2006) as the starting point.

Design/methodology/approach

Lead by the exploratory character of the study, semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with marketers, market researchers and online privacy specialists.

Findings

The results showcase how practitioners view the issues present in consumer research. First, they are overly positive about personalisation. Second, they are aware of constraining factors; findings showcase best practices to mitigate them. Finally, practitioners are aware of controversies surrounding personalisation and thus engage in ethical discussions on personalisation.

Research limitations/implications

This study shows that practitioners have somewhat different believes about the utility and appreciation of personalised marketing practices than consumers. It also shows awareness of some of the key concerns of consumers, and that such awareness translates into organisational and technological solutions that can even go beyond what is currently mandated by law. Six insights into personalised marketing as well as expectations for the future of the phenomenon are discussed to steer the research agenda.

Practical implications

Insights into the practice of personalisation contribute to a shared understanding of this phenomenon between involved actors, such as marketers, advertisers, and consumer representatives. In addition, implications for lawmakers are discussed, suggesting that the implementation of privacy laws needs more clarity and that actions aiming at improving consumer knowledge are needed.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the literature first, by drafting a descriptive map of personalisation from a practitioners’ perspective and contrasting it with the perspective stemming from consumer research and, second, by offering insights into the current developments and direct implications for practice and future research.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 53 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2023

Natasja Van Buggenhout, Wendy Van den Broeck, Ine Van Zeeland and Jo Pierson

Media users daily exchange personal data for “free” personalised media. Is this a fair trade, or user “exploitation”? Do personalisation benefits outweigh privacy risks?

Abstract

Purpose

Media users daily exchange personal data for “free” personalised media. Is this a fair trade, or user “exploitation”? Do personalisation benefits outweigh privacy risks?

Design/methodology/approach

This study surveyed experts in three consecutive online rounds (e-Delphi). The authors explored personal data processing value for media, personalisation relevance, benefits and risks for users. The authors scrutinised the value-exchange between media and users and determined whether media communicate transparently, or use “dark patterns” to obtain more personal data.

Findings

Communication to users must be clear, correct and concise (prevent user deception). Experts disagree on “payment” with personal data for “free” personalised media. This study discerned obstacles and solutions to substantially balance the interests of media and users (fair value exchange). Personal data processing must be transparent, profitable to media and users. Media can agree “sector-wide” on personalisation transparency. Fair, secure and transparent information disclosure to media is possible through shared responsibility and effort.

Originality/value

This study’s innovative contribution is threefold: Firstly, focus on professional stakeholders’ opinion in the value network. Secondly, recommendations to clearly communicate personalised media value, benefits and risks to users. This allows media to create codes of conduct that increase user trust. Thirdly, expanding literature explaining how media realise personal data value, deal with stakeholder interests and position themselves in the data processing debate. This research improves understanding of personal data value, processing benefits and potential risks in a regional context and European regulatory framework.

Details

Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5038

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 August 2020

Brahim Zarouali, Valerie Verdoodt, Michel Walrave, Karolien Poels, Koen Ponnet and Eva Lievens

This study aims to investigate the development of adolescents’ advertising literacy and privacy protection strategies in the context of targeted advertisements on social…

2124

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the development of adolescents’ advertising literacy and privacy protection strategies in the context of targeted advertisements on social networking sites (SNSs).

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted among 374 adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age, and 469 young adults (18–25 years) served as a comparative benchmark.

Findings

Results indicate that advertising literacy increases progressively throughout adolescence, and reaches adult-like levels only by the age of 16. In addition, adolescents have an inadequate awareness of commercial data collection practices. This awareness slowly increases as a function of their age until it reaches an adult level around the age of 20. Finally, findings reveal that adolescents take little action to cope with targeted advertisements by means of privacy protection strategies.

Practical implications

This paper devotes much attention to the formulation of specific recommendations for EU policymakers and regulatory bodies. In addition, it also holds implications for advertisers (e.g. the need for more in-depth data protection impact assessments), social media providers (e.g. adolescent-friendly privacy policy) and social caretakers (e.g. achieving advertising literacy and privacy education).

Originality/value

This paper fulfills the need to investigate adolescents’ advertising literacy and privacy-protective behaviors on SNSs, and, in turn, directly translates these insights into recommendations that can underpin the rationale of regulatory or policy decisions on a European level.

Details

Young Consumers, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-3616

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2004

Stefanos Gritzalis

This paper presents a state‐of‐the‐art review of the Web privacy and anonymity enhancing security mechanisms, tools, applications and services, with respect to their architecture…

3059

Abstract

This paper presents a state‐of‐the‐art review of the Web privacy and anonymity enhancing security mechanisms, tools, applications and services, with respect to their architecture, operational principles and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, to facilitate a detailed comparative analysis, the appropriate parameters have been selected and grouped in classes of comparison criteria, in the form of an integrated comparison framework. The main concern during the design of this framework was to cover the confronted security threats, applied technological issues and users' demands satisfaction. GNUnet's Anonymity Protocol (GAP), Freedom, Hordes, Crowds, Onion Routing, Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P), TRUSTe, Lucent Personalized Web Assistant (LPWA), and Anonymizer have been reviewed and compared. The comparative review has clearly highlighted that the pros and cons of each system do not coincide, mainly due to the fact that each one exhibits different design goals and thus adopts dissimilar techniques for protecting privacy and anonymity.

Details

Information Management & Computer Security, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-5227

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 November 2021

Zhou Cheng, Kai Li and Ching-I Teng

Push notification service (PNS) is an important approach to distribute personalized information to users timely and is getting more and more popular. However, users' privacy…

Abstract

Purpose

Push notification service (PNS) is an important approach to distribute personalized information to users timely and is getting more and more popular. However, users' privacy concerns are a major inhibiting factor in their continuance usage of PNS. This study investigates the effect of privacy protection functions provided by PNS sites in enhancing users' perceived fairness on the basis of justice theory to mitigate users' concerns of information privacy. The mechanism underlying such influence on users' continuance usage of PNS comprises privacy concern and privacy-control self-efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Four scenario-based surveys are conducted to test the proposed hypotheses. The authors test the research model with a sample of 360 participants by ANOVA and PLS.

Findings

Results show that the proposed privacy protection functions have direct positive effects on users' privacy-control self-efficacy, negative effects on privacy concern and indirectly affect their continuance usage of PNS. Furthermore, the interaction effects between two approaches have different impacts on users' privacy concern and privacy-control self-efficacy.

Originality/value

This study provides some suggestions and guidance for PNS providers to design effective privacy protection technologies.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 74 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2003

Martin Evans

Although very much in vogue in both academic discourse and practitioner rhetoric, presents a case for a need to be concerned over the use of the “R” (relational) word in…

2176

Abstract

Although very much in vogue in both academic discourse and practitioner rhetoric, presents a case for a need to be concerned over the use of the “R” (relational) word in marketing. But even this needs to be implemented with caution and sensitivity as evidence on how consumers react to the approach shows. In an era of self service and disintermediation, marketers are increasingly turning to customer data instead of the tacit understanding of customers they used to possess when interaction was on a more personal basis. There are, however, concerns over the nature of the data collected and the way in which it is used, that lead to a proposition that relationship marketing can be an oxymoron. Also, however, suggests a number of compromise solutions in an era in which marketers are unlikely to abandon the paradigm. If marketing reverted to earlier paradigms rather than promising cynical consumers a “relationship”, perhaps all parties might actually start to gain more trust in each other. Personal rather than relational interaction would indeed be more pragmatic.

Details

Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 20 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0736-3761

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 December 2019

Yang Li and Xuhua Hu

The purpose of this paper is to solve the problem of information privacy and security of social users. Mobile internet and social network are more and more deeply integrated into…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to solve the problem of information privacy and security of social users. Mobile internet and social network are more and more deeply integrated into people’s daily life, especially under the interaction of the fierce development momentum of the Internet of Things and diversified personalized services, more and more private information of social users is exposed to the network environment actively or unintentionally. In addition, a large amount of social network data not only brings more benefits to network application providers, but also provides motivation for malicious attackers. Therefore, under the social network environment, the research on the privacy protection of user information has great theoretical and practical significance.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, based on the social network analysis, combined with the attribute reduction idea of rough set theory, the generalized reduction concept based on multi-level rough set from the perspectives of positive region, information entropy and knowledge granularity of rough set theory were proposed. Furthermore, it was traversed on the basis of the hierarchical compatible granularity space of the original information system and the corresponding attribute values are coarsened. The selected test data sets were tested, and the experimental results were analyzed.

Findings

The results showed that the algorithm can guarantee the anonymity requirement of data publishing and improve the effect of classification modeling on anonymous data in social network environment.

Research limitations/implications

In the test and verification of privacy protection algorithm and privacy protection scheme, the efficiency of algorithm and scheme needs to be tested on a larger data scale. However, the data in this study are not enough. In the following research, more data will be used for testing and verification.

Practical implications

In the context of social network, the hierarchical structure of data is introduced into rough set theory as domain knowledge by referring to human granulation cognitive mechanism, and rough set modeling for complex hierarchical data is studied for hierarchical data of decision table. The theoretical research results are applied to hierarchical decision rule mining and k-anonymous privacy protection data mining research, which enriches the connotation of rough set theory and has important theoretical and practical significance for further promoting the application of this theory. In addition, combined the theory of secure multi-party computing and the theory of attribute reduction in rough set, a privacy protection feature selection algorithm for multi-source decision table is proposed, which solves the privacy protection problem of feature selection in distributed environment. It provides a set of effective rough set feature selection method for privacy protection classification mining in distributed environment, which has practical application value for promoting the development of privacy protection data mining.

Originality/value

In this study, the proposed algorithm and scheme can effectively protect the privacy of social network data, ensure the availability of social network graph structure and realize the need of both protection and sharing of user attributes and relational data.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 40 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Keywords

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