In polls and surveys, consumers indicate profound and increasing concern for their privacy. Yet from the posting of suggestive photographs on social networking sites to the impulsive broadcasting of illicit activities on Twitter, consumers’ behavior often suggests a remarkable lack of discretion. This “privacy paradox” has also been documented empirically — in various lab settings, people who indicate serious privacy concern nevertheless reveal intimate details of their lives for trivial rewards. And it is also evident in commerce — when asked, most consumers say they reject behavioral targeting gleaned from online behavior by companies, yet research suggests that the tactic can be highly effective.
We Say We Want Privacy Online, But Our Actions Say Otherwise
Why we don’t protect our data.
October 16, 2015