Speaking in Private: Privacy Expectations Depend on Communication Modality

Abstract

Consumers disclose personal information when they interact with connected technologies. The advent of voice technology has enabled consumers to interact with connected technologies not only through typing but also through speaking. The present research investigates whether consumers expect different levels of privacy for information they disclose via different communication modalities. The results of three studies suggest that consumers have more restrictive privacy expectations for information disclosed via speech as compared with text. The studies probe the viability of several mechanisms that may drive this effect and test practically relevant moderators. The results suggest that the effect is driven, at least in part, by increased feelings of ownership over content disclosed via speech as compared with text. Of relevance to multiple stakeholders, the article discusses implications for privacy regulation, privacy-preserving application design, targeted advertising, and the “privacy paradox.” This paper has been This paper was accepted by Catherine Tucker for the Special Issue on the Human-Algorithm Connection. Funding: This work was supported by Marketing Science Institute [4001309], NYU Stern Center for Global Economy and Business. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.03954 .