Beyond autonomy and control: An identity-based view of information privacy on social media

This research-in-progress paper proposes an identity-based conceptualization of information privacy and suggests that privacy should be understood against the backdrop of self-identity formation. The researcher argues that the so-called “privacy paradox” - the baffling contradiction between grave privacy concerns in society and the prevalence of information sharing on social media - is not a paradox per se; rather, privacy concerns reflect the ideology of autonomous self, whereas social construction of identity explains voluntary information disclosure. The researcher first unpacks the mainstream conception of autonomy-centric privacy in the IS literature, and then present a research model that illustrates the theorization of the relationship between privacy and self-identity. The researcher also reports a pilot study that validates the constructs for future research.