Privacy perceptions and the role of countermeasures on the usage of in-app commerce

Christopher Keesal, Anastasia Stathopoulou and Gregory Gadzinski

Behaviour and Information Technology, 2025, vol. 44, issue 16, 4112-4135

Abstract: The purpose of this article is twofold: first, to develop a categorisation of the countermeasures, consumers use in the in-app environment, and second, to examine how these countermeasures influence the shaping of privacy calculus in the context of m-commerce. Drawing on the theory of privacy calculus, the article examines the differences between privacy-conscious consumers (those who use several privacy countermeasures) and privacy-unconscious consumers (those who use fewer countermeasures). Our initial study, based on fourteen in-depth interviews, identifies the various countermeasures consumers adopt and the privacy calculus mechanisms they engage in during in-app commerce. A list of countermeasures was then compiled, and a conceptual model was developed and tested using survey data from 506 U.S. consumers. The results indicate that the effect of privacy risks is more prominent than privacy benefits in shaping consumers’ perceptions of information control and their privacy concerns. Additionally, the findings reveal differences in how privacy-conscious and privacy-unconscious consumers perceive the benefits of disclosing personal information within their privacy calculus, while the formation of privacy risks appears to be more universal. These findings have important implications for managers, highlighting the need to improve privacy policies and support consumers by offering countermeasures that enhance their perceived privacy.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2025.2469657

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