Qualitative Study of Users’ Sense of Online Security in Social Networks

Abstract

The present study aims at extracting the indexes of Iranian users’ of sense of security, using the triangulation method, in the social cyber networks during September 2016 to December 2018. Social networks were included domestic networks such as Soroush, Etâ, etc. And the foreign networks as telegram, WhatsApp, etc. The findings were obtained through documentary studies, in-depth interviews with experts and active users, focus group techniques, and content analysis of cyber-user references and press interviews of officials. The result of this research show the extraction of indexes of the sense of security and the determination of its dimension in the Iranian users’ cyber space. we determined and finalized 66 indexes in 5 dimensions (including economic, political, cultural, social and legal dimensions) with 11 Categories (including the financial Exchanges, occupational Opportunities, political opinions, national power, moral Principles, cultural norms, religious beliefs, emotional, family Connections, privacy, and citizen rights).The Iranian users’ sense of online security, although manifested in varying degrees of offline security, is affected by the state-citizen relationship in the real community. The concerns of users are more focused on mental dimension and micro-security levels, where the privacy of users is sign. Double-edged sword of technology and the New Age fluid surveillance, in addition to creating freedom and promoting awareness, is in service of political system objectives and this is the main concern of Iranian users. The theories of Turkel (2011) and Wellman (2012) are good insights in explaining the status of the components of online security

Keywords

• online security
• domestic social networks
• foreign social networks
• privacy
• online activity style
• iranian users