Alessandro Acquisti addresses ASIS&T plenary session. Issue 3 (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hardin, Steve
• Is Part Of: Bulletin of the Association for Information Science and Technology. Volume 41:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 33
• Page End: 35
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Information science -- Periodicals; Information storage and retrieval systems -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 020
• DOI: 10.1002/bult.2015.1720410310
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2373-9223

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>EDITOR'S SUMMARY</p> <p>During a plenary session of the 2014 ASIS&amp;T Annual Meeting, Alessandro Acquisti explored aspects of online privacy and circumstances that heighten or relax our privacy concerns. Applying behavioral economics and considering our conflicting biases helps make sense of contradictory privacy decisions and behavior. Acquisti's research shows people surrender personal information for a small incentive but turn secretive when they know or suspect they are being observed. The personal information we readily post on social media can be easily collected and combined with other available clues to enable inferences with alarming breadth and accuracy. The need for social connection is precariously balanced with the desire for privacy. Acquisti further theorized an evolutionary link between perceived threat eliciting privacy concerns and our response to stimuli we interpret as suggesting the presence of others and potential risk. Though they may be subtle or hidden, such cues exist online, adding to the challenge of designing effective privacy technologies.</p> </abstract>