Can Privacy and Security Be Friends? A Cultural Framework to Differentiate Security and Privacy Behaviors on Online Social Networks

The boundaries between online privacy and security behaviors in the literature seem blurred. Although these two behaviors are conceptually related, we argue that one does not necessarily imply the other. In this study we aimed to (1) explore the subtle differences between online privacy and security behaviors, and (2) examine how users’ cultural characteristics and a group of multilevel factors exert different effects on the two behaviors. To achieve these two goals, we created a framework by coupling the grid-group theory and INDCOL scale to segment individuals into four categories based on autonomy (individualist vs. collectivist) and acceptance of control (hierarchy vs. equality). The results of one-way ANOVA and path analysis partially confirmed that the underlying mechanisms of online privacy and security behaviors were inherently different. This study provides a basis for creating contextualized security trainings and warnings based on individual differences to promote better privacy and security behaviors.