The privacy paradox in the context of online health data disclosure by users

Abstract

The privacy paradox phenomenon corresponds to the inconsistency between the privacy concerns and the actual behavior of online users. The existence of the phenomenon has been studied in many fields, such as for social networks and especially for a variety of forums and online communities. This paper questions its existence in the context of sensitive data, and more specific in the health data area via a survey which took place in Greece. Given that health-related information is perceived as sensitive personal data it is often excluded from discussions and sharing. This research aims to unravel the paradox’s existence regarding the disclosure of health data information when individuals visit related online forums and communities.