Trust, Privacy, and Safety Factors Associated with Decision Making in P2P Markets Based on Social Networks: A Case Study of Facebook Marketplace in USA and Canada

As peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplaces have grown rapidly, concerns related to trust, privacy, and safety (TPS) have also increased. While previous studies have explored these aspects in various P2P marketplaces, there has been limited research on Facebook Marketplace (FM), which is distinguished by dramatic growth and intricate entanglement with the Facebook social networking site (SNS). To address this knowledge gap, we conducted interviews with 42 FM users in the US and Canada, investigating TPS factors associated with trading decisions. We identified four categories of factors: pre-existing concerns, signals, interactions, and perceived benefits. We uncover the challenges arising from the interplay of these factors, offer design recommendations for SNS–based marketplaces like FM, and suggest directions for future research. Our study advances the understanding of decision-making processes in SNS–based marketplaces, informs future design improvements for such platforms, and ultimately contributes to a better user experience related to trust, privacy, and safety.