Hands off my data: users’ security concerns and intention to adopt privacy enhancing technologies

As the number of data leak scandals and data infringements increase by the day, people are becoming more concerned than ever about their online security. As a result, software and applications designed to reduce, eliminate, or prevent unauthorized processing of users’ online personal data, referred to as privacy enhancing technologies (PETs) are gaining momentum. Yet, research investigating what drives users’ intention to adopt these technologies is still scant. Drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2), this study develops a research framework and tests it with a research design combining structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis. As participants, we recruited 198 members of four online communities where discussion of PETs takes place. Besides confirming the UTAUT2 variables’ predictive power on the intention to use PETs, the results of applying the baseline model also provide interesting insight on the mediating role UTAUT2 core constructs play in the relationship between security concerns and intention to adopt PETs. The multi-group analysis, in contrast, revealed that the underlying mechanisms of the theoretical framework we tested work differently when the users’ level of expertise is taken into account. This work concludes with managerial implications addressed to both PET providers and any business dealing with online consumer data.