engleski

How online privacy concern affects decision-making of internet users

This research examines how online privacy concern and its antecedents affect decision- making of Internet users in online environment. Decision-making is observed in terms of involvement in various forms of protective behavior and intentions for future Internet related behavior. In our model we consider three types of protective behaviors of people when online: installing privacy protective software, sustaining from giving personal information, and providing fabricated personal information. Furthermore, two types of behavioral intentions have been included in the model, i.e. intention to share personal information and intention to adopt new technologies. Our conceptual extended model of online privacy concern is tested using the SEM- PLS methodological approach. The data were collected in large survey conducted at over 2000 Internet users in 2016. Among variables included in the model as antecedents, traditional personal values and social trust of Internet users do not have a significant impact on online privacy concern. Computer anxiety seems to have the largest impact on level of online privacy concern, followed by perceived quality of the regulatory framework and then by respondents’ belief in privacy rights. On the other side of the model, online privacy concern has the largest impact on active protection, fabrication and sharing of personal information on the Internet. Moreover, perceived benefits of using the Internet outweigh potential associated costs with privacy concern of people when online.

online privacy concern ; survey ; decision-making ; protective behavior

This work has been fully supported by Croatian Science Foundation under the project 7913.