Links Between Online Privacy Fatigue, Technology Attitudes and Sociodemographic Factors in a German Population Sample

Abstract

Frequent cases of misuse of online service users’ data and legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulation GDPR emphasize the need for usable and user-oriented privacy and security solutions. In order to make privacy usable, characteristics of different user groups need to be taken into account when designing solutions. A user characteristic gaining increasing attention in privacy research is the concept of privacy fatigue. Privacy fatigue refers to online users feeling exhausted and cynical due to dealing with online privacy issues. It can be considered a risk factor for privacy violations, as users with higher privacy fatigue are more likely to disclose personal data and feel helpless regarding privacy threats. However, little is known about the expression of privacy fatigue in the population and about its relations to other relevant user characteristics like self-perceived technology competency and acceptance. The present online questionnaire study therefore examined in a German population sample (N = 995) how two facets of privacy fatigue — exhaustion and cynicism — are expressed in different sociodemographic groups and how they are linked to technologyrelated attitudes. The study reveals, among other links, that privacy exhaustion and cynicism are highest among users with lower technology competency and lower educational level. From the results, implications for the design of privacy tools and privacy-oriented services are drawn and further steps for research on privacy fatigue discussed.