ABSTRACT
Incorporating literature on perceptions of privacy violations, legal perspectives on privacy torts, and communication privacy management theory, this study introduces a three-entity model to examine the interplay among privacy concerns, psychological contract violations (PCV), and the perceived effectiveness of privacy policies across varying types of privacy violations. Employing scenario-based experiments, the study explores two categories of privacy violations: secrecy breaches and persona misrepresentations using four privacy tort scenarios. Results reveal that the influence of privacy policies in moderating privacy concerns on PCV varies significantly based on the nature of the privacy violation and the involved entity. This investigation contributes to the advancement of privacy theory, particularly emphasizing the critical role of specific violation types in shaping the effectiveness and perception of privacy policies. Findings aid organizations in developing nuanced privacy and communications strategies to strengthen privacy safeguards and reinforce user trust.
Drake, John R. and Furner, Christopher P and Mehta, Nikhil and Xue, Yajiong, Who’s to Blame? The Influence of Privacy Policies and Privacy Breaches on Perceptions of Contract Violations. Posted to SSRN 13 May 2025.
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