Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Providers of SNS websites work constantly on expanding the number of users
and on encouraging the information sharing among the users, based on the concept
of network externalities or network effects. As a result, continuous improvement of
SNS information systems is absolutely vital for its ongoing operation. Critically,
SNS have been designed to enhance information sharing among users. As well as
the architecture of search engine systems which collect huge amounts of informa-
tion individuals provide such as search key words (for example Battelle
2005
), it
has been considered that the more a SNS website is used by users, the more personal
information it acquires about its users, and subsequently the better the quality of
information users can get from the SNS website.
This type of information system can be described as a “dataveillance system
3
”
(Clark
1988
), which is designed to bring about continuous improvement of the
quality of information services provided to individual users (Orito
2011
). On that
basis, SNS information systems built on this dataveillance architecture collect user
information and utilize it to attract further users on an ongoing basis. Fundamen-
tally then, the operation of dataveillance systems is crucial for the SNS business
model. When considered in conjunction with the attraction of advertising clients
through target advertisements or behavioural marketing, the collection of users'
personal information is indispensable.
13.2.2 Case of Facebook
Facebook is one of the most famous SNS websites on the Internet. It has gained a
significant market share and is estimated to have over 700 million users around the
world, including Europe, North America, and Asia.
4
Some users' communication
on Facebook has been used for pro democracy perspectives, and accordingly, their
impacts on various political activities have attracted interest. The most distinctive
feature of Facebook is its real name system. When the user signs up on its website,
the user is encouraged to give their real name on the site, and already many
Japanese do so in Japan (Mobile Marketing Lab
2011
). This is in contrast to
Japanese SNS in which a pseudonym system is maintained. As noted earlier, it is
alleged that this real name system increases trust among Facebook users. For
example, Dwyer et al. (
2007
) demonstrates survey results that detail Facebook
members expressing greater trust in both Facebook and its members, compared to
members of MySpace which had adopted a pseudonym system at that time.
Like other SNS websites, Facebook has developed dataveillance component
as part of its information system. Personal information the user provides to
Facebook is analyzed and utilized for the operation of Facebook websites
(Weekly Toyokeizai
2012
). It is assumed that the more detailed the personal
3
This word is coined by Clark (
1988
).
