Understanding screenshot collection and sharing on messaging platforms: a privacy perspective

Abstract

Individuals rely on messaging platforms to form and maintain intimate relationships, trusting shared information will remain within intended digital confines. However, the screenshot feature allows people to capture and store pieces of private conversations as a separate file on their device, rendering them shareable with third parties. While usage of this feature can be benign, this study focuses on its ability to breach privacy expectations within messaging platforms, termed within communication privacy management theory as privacy turbulence. This study recognizes the power of both interpersonal dynamics and platform affordances in constraining existing norms around screenshot collection and sharing others' private messages. Experimental results (n = 302) suggest obscuring received messages upon use of the screenshot feature and stating an explicit privacy rule significantly reduce screenshot collection and sharing, respectively. Implications for communication theory and the future of messaging platform design will be discussed.