Flaming, Complaining, Abstaining: How Online Users Respond to Privacy Concerns

Abstract

Attitudes and opinions about online advertising practices and consumer privacy concerns have been studied in both the academic and popular press. However, online consumers' response to privacy concerns have not been studied. This study examines this relationship using a national sample of individuals with personal e-mail accounts. Respondents' concerns with a series of situations which effect privacy online were assessed. This overall level of concern was subsequently correlated with the frequency that respondents adopted seven different online behaviors. Analysis demonstrates that the frequency of adopting five of the seven behaviors increased as respondents' privacy concern increased. Specifically, as privacy concern increased, respondents reported that they were more likely to provide incomplete information to web sites, to notify Internet Service Providers (ISPs) about unsolicited e-mail, to request removal from mailing lists, and to send a “flame” to online entities sending unsolicited e-mail. Additionally, as privacy concern increased, respondents reported that they were less likely to register for web sites requesting information. Implications for online advertisers are provided as a part of this study.