A Willingness to Disclose Personal Information for Monetary Reward: A Study of Fitness Tracker Users in Thailand

Abstract

The paper investigates a person’s willingness to reveal personal information for a monetary reward using a model that includes factors reflecting trust belief, risk belief, information type, subjective norm, and privacy concerns. A survey of fitness-tracker users ( N = 504) using a convenience sampling approach allowed data to be collected. Data analysis used a measurement model to assess construct reliability and validity, with structural equation modeling (SEM) used to test the model’s hypotheses. Findings highlight the direct effect of information type and subjective norm as factors that influence privacy. Trust and risk belief associated with information disclosure did not affect privacy concerns nor the willingness to disclose for monetary reward. Subjective norm was the only factor associated with people’s willingness to disclose information for monetary reward—highlighting the influence of peer groups and culture on the disclosure process. Notably, subjective norm as a factor that influences information disclosure is seldom reported. The paper contributes to further understanding of factors that influence personal information disclosure when people are offered a monetary incentive. Practical implications include how a reasonable monetary reward can potentially influence disclosure and that leveraging social networks when requesting information may enhance disclosure. Theoretical implications highlight that the modeling of commonly measured risk and trust factors may not hold in certain situations.