Privacy Awareness and Personal Data Protection among Social Media Users in Indonesia: A Socio-Legal Perspective

Abstract

The rapid growth of social media has significantly increased digital communication and information exchange in Indonesia. At the same time, the intensive use of social media has heightened the risks of personal data misuse, information leakage, and privacy violations. These challenges indicate that privacy awareness plays a crucial role in encouraging responsible personal data protection behavior in digital environments. This study aims to examine the influence of privacy awareness on personal data protection behavior among social media users in Indonesia from a socio-legal perspective. A quantitative approach was employed using a survey method involving active social media users from various regions of Indonesia. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and simple linear regression analysis. The findings reveal that privacy awareness has a positive and significant influence on personal data protection behavior. Individuals with higher levels of privacy awareness tend to be more cautious in managing personal information, configuring account security settings, and understanding the importance of protecting personal data during online activities. These findings suggest that strengthening privacy literacy and public legal awareness is essential for improving personal data protection practices and fostering a safer, more responsible digital society.