Unwillingness to pay for privacy: A field experiment

Alastair R. Beresford, Dorothea Kübler () and Sören Preibusch ()

No SP II 2010-03, Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Market Behavior from Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)

Abstract: We measure willingness to pay for privacy in a field experiment. Participants were given the choice to buy a maximum of one DVD from one of two online stores. One store consistently required more sensitive personal data than the other, but otherwise the stores were identical. In one treatment, DVDs were one Euro cheaper at the store requesting more personal information, and almost all buyers chose the cheaper store. Surprisingly, in the second treatment when prices were identical, participants bought from both shops equally often. -- Wir messen die Zahlungsbereitschaft für Datenschutz in einem Feldexperiment. Die Teilnehmer konnten maximal eine DVD bei einem von zwei Online-Shops kaufen. Einer der beiden Läden verlangte immer mehr sensitive Daten als der andere, aber abgesehen davon waren die Läden gleich. Im ersten Treatment waren alle DVDs genau einen Euro günstiger bei dem Laden, der mehr sensitive Daten abfragte, und fast alle Käufer wählten diesen günstigeren Laden. In einem zweiten Treatment mit identischen Preisen bei beiden Läden kauften die Teilnehmer überraschenderweise bei beiden Läden gleich häufig.

Keywords: privacy; willingness to pay; field experiments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Related works:
Journal Article: Unwillingness to pay for privacy: A field experiment (2012)
Working Paper: Unwillingness to Pay for Privacy: A Field Experiment (2011)
Working Paper: Unwillingness to Pay for Privacy: A Field Experiment (2010)
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