To read this content please select one of the options below:

Following Snowden: a cross-cultural study on the social impact of Snowden’s revelations

Kiyoshi Murata (School of Commerce, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan)
Andrew A. Adams (Centre for Business Information Ethics, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan)
Ana María Lara Palma (Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain)

Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society

ISSN: 1477-996X

Article publication date: 14 August 2017

589

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce a cross-cultural study of the views and implications of Snowden’s revelations about NSA/GCHQ surveillance practices, undertaken through surveys administered in eight countries. The aims and academic and social significance are explained, and justification is offered for the methods used.

Design/methodology/approach

Pilot surveys were deployed in two countries, following which revised versions were deployed in eight countries (including expanded collection in the original pilot countries). Quantitative analysis of suitable answer sets (Yes/No; Likert scales) and quantitative analysis (interpretation of free text answers) were performed.

Findings

Through the pilot survey studies conducted in Japan and Spain, the academic significance and meaningfulness, as well as social significance of the project, were confirmed.

Practical implications

The results of the cross-cultural study are expected to contribute not only to the advance of surveillance study but also to the enhancement of ordinary, non-technical people’s awareness of state surveillance and their proactive approach to protecting their own rights and dignity from covert intrusion by government agencies.

Originality/value

This paper clarifies the importance and methodologies of investigating the social impact of Snowden’s revelations on youngsters’ attitudes toward privacy and state surveillance in a cross-cultural analysis framework. Although a few other studies have assessed the impact of Snowden’s revelations, these have mostly focussed on the USA, so this is the only study to date considering that impact on a broad international scale, using highly similar surveys to ensure comparability.

Keywords

Citation

Murata, K., Adams, A.A. and Lara Palma, A.M. (2017), "Following Snowden: a cross-cultural study on the social impact of Snowden’s revelations", Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 183-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-12-2016-0047

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles