The privacy trade-off for mobile app downloads: The roles of app value, intrusiveness, and privacy concerns

• Published in: Decision Support Systems Vol. 106; pp. 44 - 52
• Main Authors: Wottrich, Verena M., van Reijmersdal, Eva A., Smit, Edith G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.02.2018; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: App permission requests; Applications programs; Calculus; Decision-making; Mobile apps; Mobile computing; Privacy; Privacy calculus; Privacy trade-off; Software utilities; Studies; Tradeoffs; Wireless carriers; Western Europe; Privacy calculus; Decision-making; App permission requests; Mobile apps; Privacy trade-off
• ISSN: 0167-9236; 1873-5797
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dss.2017.12.003

Today, mobile app users regularly “pay” for various mobile services, such as social networking or entertainment apps, by accepting app permission requests, thereby sharing personal data with apps. Privacy calculus theory has established that individuals disclose personal information based on a cost-benefit trade-off. In the mobile app context, however, this notion needs more support, because existing studies have only measured costs and benefits or forced a trade-off. Conducting two online experiments among Western European app users (N1=183; N2=687), this study replicates earlier findings and provides more-profound insights into the boundary conditions of the privacy calculus by showing that app value (i.e., benefits) trumps the costs (i.e., intrusiveness, privacy concerns) in the privacy trade-off. •This study focuses on app users’ privacy decision-making when downloading apps.•App value increases users’ intention to accept app permissions.•App intrusiveness decreases users’ intention to accept app permissions.•App value trumps app intrusiveness in the privacy trade-off.•For low-value apps, less-privacy concerned users base their decision to accept permission requests on app intrusiveness.