Greater Online Privacy Controls Can Result in Sharing More Personal Information

Here is an interesting – and potentially alarming – research finding for anyone concerned about online privacy: The more control individuals have over their personal data online, the more information they are willing to share.

It sounds paradoxical, but according to research conducted by Laura Brandimarte, an assistant professor of management information systems at the University of Arizona; Alessandro Acquisti, an associate professor of information technology and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University; and George Loewenstein, a professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University; when people perceive they have more control over their personal information, their privacy concerns decrease.

Said Brandimarte, with whom I spoke about the findings: “What happens with very granular controls is that people feel empowered, and at least in our research, the perception of control over personal information decreased privacy concerns.”

Read the full article at the Chicago Tribune. 

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