Youth and online privacy: a cross-border study in the Basque Country

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the main concerns and attitudes Basque adolescents have regarding online privacy. It analyzes their motivations for sharing private information and the kind of information they share. Likewise, it examines whether they consider the potential consequences of revealing certain information online and analyzes if there are any differences between the motivations and attitudes of young people from Gipuzkoa and Labourd.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, three methods were combined to collect the data in 17 schools in the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Labourd: a survey carried out among 1,133 students, out of which 242 also completed a diary and 482 took part in discussion groups.

Findings

The data from this research does not fully support the “youth cultures of disclosure” (James, 2009) in the Basque Country; however, some of these practices have been observed.

Originality/value

Time spent online by adolescents has increased sharply in recent years. This increase has brought with it concerns about youth’s level of awareness regarding online privacy. This is the first cross-border study conducted in the Basque Country addressing this topic (in the Basque Autonomous Community, administratively belonging to Spanish territory, and in the Northern Basque Country, administratively in French territory).

Citation

Bidegain, E., Arroyo Sagasta, A., Diaz Bizkarguenaga, K., Zuberogoitia, A., Antón, E. and Rozas, I. (2022), "Youth and online privacy: a cross-border study in the Basque Country", Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 54-71. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-06-2021-0069