Privacy antecedents for SNS self-disclosure: The case of Facebook

•Social networking sites privacy issues and self-disclosure are examined.•A research model of privacy issues and self-disclosure is built.•Structural equations modeling is used to assess the model fit.•Path analysis is done to analyze hypothesis whereas 11 out of 14 are accepted.•Final model shows privacy and its shaping of self-disclosure in Facebook.

In recent years, social networking sites have spread rapidly, raising new issues in terms of privacy and self-disclosure online. For a better understanding of how privacy issues determine self-disclosure, a model which includes privacy awareness, privacy social norms, privacy policy, privacy control, privacy value, privacy concerns and self-disclosure was built. A total of 661 respondents participated in an online survey and a structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the model. The findings indicated a significant relationship between privacy value/privacy concerns and self-disclosure, privacy awareness and privacy concerns/self-disclosure, privacy social norms and privacy value/self-disclosure, privacy policy and privacy value/privacy concerns/self-disclosure, privacy control and privacy value/privacy concerns. The model from the study should contribute new knowledge concerning privacy issues and their shaping of self-disclosure on social networking sites. It could also help networking sites service providers understand how to encourage users to disclose more information.