Social Networks Research Aspects: A Vast and Fast Survey Focused on the Issue of Privacy in Social Network Sites (1201.3745v1)

Abstract: The increasing participation of people in online activities in recent years like content publishing, and having different kinds of relationships and interactions, along with the emergence of online social networks and people's extensive tendency toward them, have resulted in generation and availability of a huge amount of valuable information that has never been available before, and have introduced some new, attractive, varied, and useful research areas to researchers. In this paper we try to review some of the accomplished research on information of SNSs (Social Network Sites), and introduce some of the attractive applications that analyzing this information has. This will lead to the introduction of some new research areas to researchers. By reviewing the research in this area we will present a categorization of research topics about online social networks. This categorization includes seventeen research subtopics or subareas that will be introduced along with some of the accomplished research in these subareas. According to the consequences (slight, significant, and sometimes catastrophic) that revelation of personal and private information has, a research area that researchers have vastly investigated is privacy in online social networks. After an overview on different research subareas of SNSs, we will get more focused on the subarea of privacy protection in social networks, and introduce different aspects of it along with a categorization of these aspects.

• The paper categorizes 17 distinct SNS research subtopics, emphasizing privacy analysis to guide future studies.
• It reviews various privacy protection strategies, including analyses of user behavior and technical safeguards to mitigate risks.
• The survey highlights the vast availability of SNS data and underscores the critical need for robust privacy mechanisms.

The paper "Social Networks Research Aspects: A Vast and Fast Survey Focused on the Issue of Privacy in Social Network Sites" offers a comprehensive review of research related to online social networks (SNSs), with an emphasis on privacy concerns. With the proliferation of online activities, such as content publishing and varied interpersonal interactions, vast quantities of valuable information have become accessible. This influx of data has opened new research avenues and applications in the field of SNSs.

The paper aims to map out the research landscape by categorizing and summarizing existing studies in the field. It introduces seventeen distinct subtopics within SNS research, each accompanied by representative studies. These subtopics serve as a framework for understanding the diverse research areas in online social networks.

Particularly, the paper highlights privacy protection as a crucial area of investigation due to the significant implications that the exposure of personal information can have. Privacy issues range from slight inconveniences to catastrophic outcomes, underscoring the necessity for robust privacy protection mechanisms.

In the privacy protection section, the paper explores various facets of privacy concerns within SNSs. It provides a categorization of these aspects and reviews different strategies and technologies developed to address privacy issues. This includes discussions on user behavior analysis, privacy settings, and the effectiveness of different privacy-preserving techniques.

The goal of the survey is not just to reflect on past research but also to inspire new directions for future studies by highlighting emerging topics and providing a structured overview of the current state of research. This categorization and detailed exploration of privacy concerns aim to inform and guide researchers in developing new solutions to protect user privacy in SNSs.

Overall, the paper serves as both a resource and a catalyst for ongoing research in social network sites, particularly in the area of privacy, offering a valuable reference point for researchers in the field.