Encouraging cookie defensive behavior by raising privacy concerns and increasing competencies to decline cookies
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2021-07-02
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en
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Abstract
Protecting private information on the internet can be quite a challenge. One example is cookie
consent forms in which people often accept all cookies without having the intention to do so.
Therefore, determinants of cookie defensive behavior (i.e., behavior to protect privacy via cookie
settings; Study 1) and how people can be best encouraged to display cookie defensive behavior
(Study 2) were examined. In Study 1 a questionnaire was administered among 65 participants. This
questionnaire contained several variables that were expected to predict whether people display
cookie defensive behavior. As expected, results show that privacy concerns predict cookie defensive
behavior. Unexpectedly, the interaction between knowledge about cookies and privacy concerns on
cookie defensive behavior was non-significant. Furthermore, and against expectations, privacy
concerns did not correlate significantly with knowledge about cookie. The results contributed to the
approach of Study 2 by highlighting that privacy concerns is a predictor for cookie defensive
behavior. In Study 2 an experiment was conducted to see if cookie defensive behavior can be
boosted by encouraging privacy concerns about cookies, giving competencies to decline cookies or
both. For this, 28 internet users participated in Study 2. Participants were randomly assigned to one
of four groups in which they either received both privacy concerns about cookies and competencies
to decline cookies, one of them, or none. They rated three different websites on their appearance
whilst accepting or declining cookies before and after the manipulations. Results show no
significant main effects of the between-subject factors. Further, a significant main effect of the
within-subject factor (cookie consent form placement) was found. This suggests that internet users
may not be that reflective when they are confronted with a cookie consent form. From the results of
Study 2 no suggestions about the causal relationship of privacy concerns and cookie defensive
behavior could be made. Taken both studies together privacy concerns seem to relate to cookie
defensive behavior (Study 1) but how is not clear yet (Study 2).
Keywords: Cookies, privacy concerns, internet
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen