The Paradoxical Impact of Information Privacy on Privacy Preserving Technology: The Case of Self-Sovereign Identities

Abstract

Advance of digital technologies brings great benefits but takes users at risk of the dark sides of the internet. Preventive mechanisms and privacy-preserving solutions could overcome this challenge. As such, self-sovereign identities (SSIs) provide users with increased control over personal information. However, users neglect their privacy in favor of the most convenient solution. In this paper, we empirically examine how information privacy influences adoption of SSIs. Our results contradict the existing theory that privacy is critical to the success of identity management (IdM) systems. Analogous to the privacy paradox, the study does not lend empirical support that perceived privacy has an impact on the adoption of an SSI. On the contrary, these findings contradict the prevailing view of privacy as a key factor for IdM systems and contribute to knowledge on privacy and adoption behavior.