如宣传所言？理解网红VPN广告的影响
As Advertised? Understanding the Impact of Influencer VPN Ads
AI总结：
本研究通过新型VPN广告检测模型和217名用户的观看历史，分析YouTube网红VPN广告暴露与用户心智模型的关系，发现广告主要影响用户的威胁感知等情绪层面，而非技术认知。
摘要：
YouTube上的网红VPN广告（赞助片段）经常传播关于VPN以及更广泛的安全与隐私的误导性信息。然而，目前尚不清楚这些广告如何（或是否）影响用户对VPN的认知和知识。在本研究中，我们探讨了YouTube VPN广告暴露与用户关于VPN、安全和隐私的心智模型之间的关系。我们使用一种新型VPN广告检测模型，通过217名参与者的YouTube观看历史计算其广告暴露量，并开发了量表来表征他们与VPN广告中常见主张相关的心智模型。通过（预注册的）基于回归的分析，我们发现VPN广告暴露与对VPN品牌的熟悉度以及对（夸张的）威胁的信念增强显著相关。尽管这些威胁并非VPN特有，但经常在VPN广告中被讨论。相比之下，尽管许多参与者认同广告中常见的关于VPN的事实性和误导性心智模型，但我们发现VPN广告暴露与这些心智模型之间没有显著相关性。这些发现表明，如果VPN广告确实影响心智模型，那么其影响主要是情绪层面的（即威胁感知），而非技术层面的。
英文摘要：
Influencer VPN ads (sponsored segments) on YouTube often disseminate misleading information about both VPNs, and security & privacy more broadly. However, it remains unclear how (or whether) these ads affect users' perceptions and knowledge about VPNs. In this work, we explore the relationship between YouTube VPN ad exposure and users' mental models of VPNs, security, and privacy. We use a novel VPN ad detection model to calculate the ad exposure of 217 participants via their YouTube watch histories, and we develop scales to characterize their mental models in relation to claims commonly made in VPN ads. Through (pre-registered) regression-based analysis, we find that exposure to VPN ads is significantly correlated with familiarity with VPN brands and increased belief in (hyperbolic) threats. While not specific to VPNs, these threats are often discussed in VPN ads. In contrast, although many participants agree with both factual and misleading mental models of VPNs that often appear in ads, we find no significant correlation between exposure to VPN ads and these mental models. These findings suggest that, if VPN ads do impact mental models, then it is predominantly emotional (i.e., threat perceptions) rather than technical.
机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来，可能存在错误，请以论文正文为准。
