A classification of factors influencing low adoption of PETs among SNS users

Abstract

Privacy concerns among Social Networking Services (SNS) users are increasing. However, Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) are not, yet, widely deployed and their deployment rate is marginally growing. This is surprising given the fact that PETs are widely recognized as effective at reducing privacy risks. This paper explores this paradox, by presenting a classification of the key factors influencing the adoption of PETs. The conclusions of our analysis suggest that, certain factors are overemphasized, while the importance of others has been overlooked. Our classification is based on relevant literature and experimental analysis of PETs, and can inform both practitioners for designing and enhancing PETs, as well as researchers, as we identify several open issues. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.