The impact of reading a web site's privacy statement on perceived control over privacy and perceived trust

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to study the impact of reading a web site's privacyrnstatement on the perceptions of control over privacy and trust in a cyber merchant.rnDesign/methodology/approach - Two experiments were designed to monitor the actual readingrnof the privacy statement. Study one compares the influence of actual reading with self-reported claims.rnStudy two manipulated the format of the privacy statement (opt-in or opt-out) and included a controlrncondition to assess the influence of the presence of a privacy statement and the influence of the formatrnon the dependent variables.rnFindings - The findings show that the mere presence of a privacy statement has a positive influencernon perceived control. However, reading the privacy statement does not necessarily have a positiverninfluence on perceived control and trust, contrary to commonly held assumptions. Participants whornread the opt-in format felt significantly more control and trust than the participants who read thernopt-out format. The opt-out format decreases perceived control compared with the group that did notrnread the privacy statement when it was available.rnResearch limitations/implications - The sample size for both experiments was relatively modest,rnwhich limits the generalisability of the findings.rnPractical implications - Cyber merchants should devote particular attention to the strategic role ofrnthe format of the privacy statement.rnOriginality/value - In contrast to other studies that relied on surveys, this paper assesses thernimpact of the actual reading of the privacy statement via an experimental approach. Moreover, thernimpact of the format of the privacy statement has been empirically tested.