The roles of trust and privacy calculus in citizen-centric services usage: evidence from the close contact query platform in China

Jingrui Ju and Liuan Wang

Behaviour and Information Technology, 2025, vol. 44, issue 3, 574-595

Abstract: The mechanism of the ‘privacy calculus’ between privacy risks and benefits has gained attention in e-government service, but there were few empirical studies. Trust reduces perceived risk as well as enhances perceived benefits. However, the effects of different types of trust on privacy calculus are yet undefined. Regarding above issues, we build a research model based on the theoretical framework of ‘Antecedents → Privacy Concerns → Outcomes (APCO)’, theories of privacy calculus and e-government trustworthiness typology. We analyse survey data from the Close Contact Query Platform providing citizen-centric services for COVID-19 in China. Trust in transactions and information is increased by trust in government organisations. Trust in government organisations and transactions decrease perceived privacy risks, while trust in government organisations and information enhances perceived privacy benefits. Privacy risks and benefits significantly affect usage intentions, and the effect of privacy benefits is greater. We also identified mediating effects. Our findings have important implications regarding the unexplored inner mechanism of trust, the roles of privacy calculus in e-government adoption, and the expansion of the APCO framework. We offer recommendations for citizen-centric platform developers, administrators to design citizen-centric services, and offline public servants.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2024.2330001

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