Minors’ online privacy disclosure and protection behaviors: a systematic review

The invasion of minors’ online privacy has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Examining the disclosure and protection behaviours of minors about online privacy provides a theoretical basis for the development of educational activities aimed at safeguarding minors’ privacy. This study utilised visual analysis tools and content analysis of literature to systematically map out the research hotspots and evolution in this field. The findings revealed that (1) research in this area is thriving and interdisciplinary, (2) existing studies primarily focus on minors aged 12–18 and their active privacy disclosure behaviour in social media and other scenarios, as well as key influencing factors, (3) these studies not only examine the influence of minors themselves but also the influence of parents and peers on minors’ online privacy behaviours, and (4) most minors adopt avoidance strategies such as privacy settings and alternative websites to protect their online privacy. Further research could expand the research context, resolve controversial factors, use multiple methods, and explore additional privacy behaviours. This literature review plays a crucial role in generating academic discourse and provides valuable insights for developing privacy protection policies tailored to minors.