Opinion polls suggest that the public value their privacy, with majorities calling for greater control of their data. However, individ- uals continue to use online services which place their personal information at risk, comprising a Privacy Paradox. Previous work has analysed this phenomenon through after-the-fact comparisons, but not studied disclo- sure behaviour during questioning. We physically surveyed UK cities to study how the British public regard privacy and how perceptions differ between demographic groups. Through analysis of optional data disclo- sure, we empirically examined whether those who claim to value their privacy act privately with their own data. We found that both opin- ions and self-reported actions have little effect on disclosure, with over 99 % of individuals revealing private data needlessly. We show that not only do individuals act contrary to their opinions, they disclose informa- tion needlessly even whilst describing themselves as private. We believe our findings encourage further analysis of data disclosure, as a means of studying genuine privacy behaviour.
['Meredydd Williams', 'Jason R. C. Nurse']
Optional Data Disclosure and the Online Privacy Paradox: A UK Perspective