The Concept of Privacy and Personal Data in Digital Life: Analysis of Perceptions of Students' at Hacettepe University Department of Information Management

Unauthorized access to personal data and use of such data by third parties are seen as one of the most prominent problems in today's world. In this regard it is important to evaluate data usage and sharing activities of individuals within the framework of the term privacy and to create awareness of the issue in the society. This study aims to reveal perceptions and awareness levels of students who are one of the user groups mostly interacting with the digital environment in their daily lives. In the light of the described aim, students at Hacettepe University Department of Information Management who have the potential to take part in the processes related to the management of personaldata in the institutions as a result of the undergraduate education, are examined. In this regard, a web based questionnaire about personal data privacy perceptions was developed according to literature review. The questionnaire consisting of 34 questions was delivered to 280 students. The survey, which was answered by 151 students, provided findings on students' privacy awareness of personal data. The results illustrate which data are perceived as personal by the students, their lack of awareness about the subject and also point out the kind of measures they took to protect it