To share or not to share: Extending Protection Motivation Theory to understand data sharing with the police

摘要

Mobile phones have evolved to allow individuals to easily access and disclose the private information of others to a seemingly infinite network. Notably, the permanent nature of mobile data has aided its path between individuals and the police, storing integral evidence for criminal investigations in the palms of peoples' hands. Understanding cognitive factors that predict when an individual would choose to report mobile data to the police is pertinent, particularly in a time of heightened controversy over data access limits and ubiquitous surveillance. This study extends Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) through incorporating the watchful eye effect and the theory of contextual integrity to analyze predictors of intention to share data with the police. The results of a 2 (Situational severity: high or low) x 2 (Surveillance: present or absent) between-subjects factorial vignette methodology (N = 222) revealed that participants behaved independently of feeling watched, but that such sharing can be causally attributed to situational severity. Further, we found PMT variables-including perceived severity, response-efficacy, self-efficacy, and response cost-as well as perception of the police to serve as predictors of intentions to share with the police, with some of these factors mediating the effects of situational severity and surveillance. This study not only provides a theoretical contribution to PMT but also practical recommendations for mobile design that considers surveillance normalization and prioritizes data autonomy.