Disclosure of personal data in ecommerce: A cross-national comparison of Estonia and the United States

Abstract

This study examines how demographic variables affect willingness to disclose and perceived risks of disclosing personally identifying information (PII, also referred to as personal data in Europe) in ecommerce in the United States and Estonia. The study utilized a 17-item list of potential disclosure items (name, email address, etc.), categorized reliably into six sub-indices: contact information, payment information, life history information, financial/medical information, work-related information, and online account information. Online disclosure consciousness (ODC) is introduced as a framework to conceptualize, explain the study’s findings, and empirically measure the gap between one’s willingness to disclose and perceived risk pertaining to the overall 17-item index used in the study, the sub-indices, and particular items. The results show significant gaps among participants both within and across nations. Despite Estonia’s advanced adoption and progressive policies and practices toward the Internet, Americans are more willing to disclose, and less concerned about perceived risks. The findings suggest willingness to disclose and risk aversion can and should be analyzed empirically together. The theoretical model provides an alternative conceptualization to the ideas of the privacy paradox, privacy calculus, and privacy cost-benefit ratios. Implications for theory, consumers, marketing practice, and public policy are discussed. Importantly, the study can inform increased adoption of ecommerce and the digital economy, while also protecting consumer’s personal data.