Privacy concerns and customer’s willingness to share personal data

Although data is considered the new oil, privacy concerns among consumers limit its full potential. In our recent research, we have explored the effect of privacy concerns on customer’s willingness to provide personal data. Unlike previous studies, our study examines whether providing customers with information about the potential benefits of sharing personal data helps to reduce their resistance. Our analysis is based on a sample of 468 respondents in Norway, representing potential customers of airport services and online retailers. Results show that while the perception of benefits increases the willingness to share personal data with service providers, it does not significantly reduce the negative effect of privacy concerns. These results are interesting because they contradict a widely held assertion in the literature that customers’ willingness to share personal data significantly depends on the perceived benefits.