The Impact of Linkability On Privacy Leakage
Ahmad Hassanpour, Masrur Masqub Utsash, Bian Yang · 2023
Online Social Networks are responsible for disclosing a large amount of sensitive information. Often, users unknowingly disclose vast amounts of sensitive and potentially (un)related data, oblivious to the associated privacy risks. Our research provides a comprehensive evaluation of the linkability between user profiles and shared content across various OSNs, a factor that has considerable implications for privacy leakage. We introduce a novel method for quantifying the linkability between profiles across multiple networks, based on key features and metrics that capture profile similarities. We applied this methodology to a dataset of user profiles across three online social networks named Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter. Our approach includes examining both structured and unstructured data related to user profiles, enabling us to offer a valuable understanding of linkability trends and identify potential privacy risks. Through our findings, we aim to inform the development of privacy-enhancing technologies and contribute to improving the current privacy landscape within OSNs. Our research underscores the critical need for robust privacy measures in the face of the growing interconnectedness of user data across different social networks.