 As noted  in §4.1 above  it becomes difficult to confirm a user’s intention when sharing information on a social media platform, and whether users recognize that providing information in a social environment also opens it up for widespread harvesting and use by researchers. This uncertainty in the intent and expectations of users of social media and internet-based platforms—often fueled by the design of the platforms themselves—create numerous conceptual muddles in our ability to properly alleviate potential privacy concerns in big data research.