Differences in Distance and Spatial Effects on Cross-Border E-Commerce and International Trade

Distance and space are important factors affecting international trade, but they have different effects on cross-border e-commerce (CBE) due to the creation of the Internet. This study utilizes spatial autocorrelation, the multi-dimension gravity model and the Spatial Durbin model to conduct an comparative analysis of international trade and CBE within one-belt one-road (BR) countries. Our study obtained several key findings. Firstly, the spatial autocorrelation effect which exists in international trade does not exist in CBE. Secondly, the geographical distance effect of CBE is not significant, which is different from that of international trade. Thirdly, CBE is affected by GDP, culture, policy and institution distances which is not entirely consistent with international trade. Finally, the Spatial Durbin model shows that the spillover effect of CBE and international trade are both significant in the inverse distance weight matrix. These findings provide not only important theoretical contributions but also a practical guide for Government policy makers of the BR and CBE.

Privacy and Safety on Social Networking Sites: Autistic and Non-Autistic Teenagers’ Attitudes and Behaviors

Autistic teenagers are suspected to be more vulnerable to privacy and safety threats on social networking sites (SNS) than the general population. However, there are no studies comparing these users’ privacy and safety concerns and protective strategies online with those reported by non-autistic teenagers. Furthermore, researchers have yet to identify possible explanations for autistic teenagers’ increased risk of online harms. To address these research gaps, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 autistic and 16 non-autistic teenagers assessing their privacy- and safety-related attitudes and behaviors on SNS, and factors affecting them. We used videos demonstrating relevant SNS scenarios as prompts to engage participants in conversation. Through our thematic analyses, we found evidence that autistic teenagers may be more averse to taking risks on SNS than non-autistic teenagers. Yet, several personal, social, and SNS design factors may make autistic teenagers more vulnerable to cyberbullying and social exclusion online. We provide recommendations for making SNS safer for autistic teenagers. Our research highlights the need for more inclusive usable privacy and security research with this population.

Key Factors Affecting User Adoption of Open-Access Data Repositories in Intelligence and Security Informatics: An Affordance Perspective

Rich, diverse cybersecurity data are critical for efforts by the intelligence and security informatics (ISI) community. Although open-access data repositories (OADRs) provide tremendous benefits for ISI researchers and practitioners, determinants of their adoption remain understudied. Drawing on affordance theory and extant ISI literature, this study proposes a factor model to explain how the essential and unique affordances of an OADR (i.e., relevance, accessibility, and integration) affect individual professionals' intentions to use and collaborate with AZSecure, a major OADR. A survey study designed to test the model and hypotheses reveals that the effects of affordances on ISI professionals' intentions to use and collaborate are mediated by perceived usefulness and ease of use, which then jointly determine their perceived value. This study advances ISI research by specifying three important affordances of OADRs; it also contributes to extant technology adoption literature by scrutinizing and affirming the interplay of essential user acceptance and value perceptions to explain ISI professionals' adoptions of OADRs.