False sense of security and a flurry of misplaced trust: the construction of trust in and by Facebook

In this research, we highlight the fundamental forces that shape the dynamics of trust in the digital society by examining how platform-specific and platform-mediated trust is constructed on Facebook. We define three potential pillars of trust considerations on which user trust in and on the platform may rest: (1) self-confidence in recognizing and hedging platform-related risks, (2) trust in the platform’s self-regulatory capacity, and (3) governmental platform regulation. We test our hypotheses on a unique cross-national survey covering seven European countries. Our results show that platform-specific trust is based on the perceived trustworthiness of the operating company and self-confidence in protection, but these two factors are less effective in building trust when either of them is lower, suggesting their amplifying rather than complementing role in building trust.