Karyda, Maria, and Spyros Kokolakis. "Privacy perceptions among members of online communities." Digital Privacy. Auerbach Publications, 2007. 275-288.

The emergence of internet-based information and communication technologies has led to the development of new communicative practices, including digital communities or online communities. These communities, also known as virtual communities or social networks, are groups of individuals who share common interests and interact with each other primarily through electronic media over the internet. Virtual communities transcend geographical constraints and can encompass much larger populations compared to physical communities. Rheingold's definition describes virtual communities as social aggregations formed through prolonged public discussions with sufficient emotional connection, leading to webs of personal relationships in cyberspace. In recent years, online social networks have seen significant growth in membership, with some boasting populations in the tens of thousands.