Unveiling Influencer-Driven PII Disclosures in Social Media Discourse

This study examined how influencer power (reach) and tier (number of followers) relate to social media engagement and personal information sharing, noting fluctuations of both over time. A combination of content analysis and machine learning methodologies was used to analyze the content of social media conversations and determine the general trends of engagements and disclosures over time. While most discussions were started by influencers, some viral content came from non-influencers. Around 29.41% of posts (N=122,904) included personal identifiable information disclosures. The study provides insights into the dynamics of social media engagement and personal information sharing, demonstrating a strong correlation between influencer reach, increased engagement and disclosures, and a decline of both engagements (79.78% of threads) and disclosures (66.12% of threads) in a sample of 183 conversational threads over time.Results confirmed all hypotheses, revealing a strong link between influencer reach, increased engagement, and personal identifiable information disclosures. The higher rate of personal information disclosures necessitates additional caution in influencer-led marketing activities to mitigate potential privacy risks with the audience. Social media users should also take care when interacting with influencers and be more selective in their sharing patterns to protect their personal information. Further research is required to continue refining influencer identification methods and examining their impact within community-based social media platforms.