Tubaro Paola, Casilli Antonio A., 2011, « Testing the “End of Privacy” hypothesis in computer-mediated communication: An agent-based modelling approach », 4ème Congrès de l'AFS « Création et Innovation », Grenoble, 5-8 juillet 2011.

Background




The so-called “End of Privacy” hypothesis has been widely echoed in the public discourse. Especially among younger users, a tendency to renounce the value of privacy in favour of transparent interactions has been ascribed – albeit controversially – to today’s pervasive computer-mediated communication and online networking services.




Objectives and methods




The paper sets out to test the End of Privacy hypothesis by identifying the societal configurations coherent with this scenario. It builds on the existing social science literature on variables that affect individual privacy attitudes and behaviours, including age, socio-economic status, gender, and national legal frameworks. The methods adopted rely upon the design of an agent-based computational model of online networks. Starting from micro-level interactions, the model aims to describe the resulting macro-level social dynamics.




Findings




Final simulated scenarios can be of several distinct types, thus suggesting that the End of Privacy is not an inevitable outcome of today’s spread of computer-mediated communication. On this basis, the paper assesses the possible combinations of social factors validating or falsifying this hypothesis. Shifting individual preferences towards more open tie formation, participatory sharing and changing expectations about privacy policies and data protection are evaluated as to their potential to trigger major social innovations.