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COM Research Seminar Agency in AI-powered Algorithmic Social Media: A Multi-Method Study of User Privacy Management

14 Apr 2026 (Tue)



On 30 March 2026, Dr. Hyunjin Kang from Nanyang Technological University Singapore, delivered a seminar entitled “Agency in AI-powered Algorithmic Social Media: A Multi-Method Study of User Privacy Management” in the Department of Media and Communication (COM) at City University of Hong Kong.

In the seminar, Dr. Kang presented an integrated research project examining how users perceive, experience, and manage privacy in algorithmic environments. As social media platforms increasingly rely on AI-driven algorithms, users face new forms of privacy invasion that challenge their sense of agency and control. Building on foundational privacy concepts in the domain of human-algorithm interaction, Dr. Kang explored users’ emotional responses to privacy-invasive algorithmic content, linking these emotions to distinct coping strategies that range from direct privacy protection to avoidance and disengagement. She identified distinct privacy management profiles and highlighted that privacy self-efficacy is a key predictor of user strategies across cultures.





Faculty members and doctoral students from the Department of Media and Communication attended the session and engaged in a lively and intellectually stimulating discussion. In responding to questions from the audience, Dr. Kang addressed enquiries on how users negotiate privacy with opaque algorithmic systems and shared insights on the study’s findings. 



Dr. Hyunjin Kang (Ph.D., Penn State) is an Associate Professor at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Her research examines the psychological effects of interactive communication technologies on consumer behavior and communication processes. Her work has been published in leading journals, including Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, New Media & Society, Media Psychology, and Computers in Human Behavior, among others.