Prior negative experience of online disclosure, privacy concerns, and regulatory support in Chinese social media

Abstract

A written survey of 489 Chinese college students was conducted in the spring of 2012 to test a conceptual model of consumers' regulatory support for social media advertising. It showed that the prior negative experience of consumers in online disclosure directly increased their privacy concerns and perceived risks in disclosing on social networking websites. Online privacy concerns, trust, and risk strengthened their support for the government regulation of social media advertising, while trust and social media use enhanced support for industry self-regulation. Surprisingly, the prior negative experiences of young Chinese consumers did not reduce their social media use and had little direct effect on their support for regulations. The implications of the findings for digital interactive marketers and governmental and self-regulatory agencies are discussed.

Keywords::

• consumer attitudes
• advertising regulation
• online privacy concerns
• trust
• risk
• social media use

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hongwei (Chris) Yang

Hongwei Yang (PhD, Southern Illinois University), Associate Professor of Advertising, Department of Communication, Appalachian State University. He is keenly interested in advertising via new media (Internet, mobile devices, social media, etc.). He is also interested in international marketing and media planning as well as the regulation and self-regulation of new media advertising. He has published research in academic journals, such as the International Journal of Mobile Marketing, the Chinese Journal of Communication, the Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, the Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, the Journal of International Consumer Marketing, and the Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, & Complaining Behavior.

Hui Liu

Liu Hui (PhD, University of South Carolina at Columbia), Associate Professor of the Department of Journalism at Beijing International Studies University (BISU), School of International Communications. He has published research in academic journals, such as the International Journal of Mobile Marketing, the Chinese Journal of Communication, the Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, the Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, and the Journal of International Consumer Marketing.