Privacy Control
There are two privacy control models commonly introduced in
eCommerce and social networking websites: Opt-in and Opt-out model. Opt-in
model restricts the entity from using customers’ information, unless
specifically consented by customers. In contrast, the Opt-out model allows the
company to utilize the information, except data that customers forbidden to
disclose. Jeffrey M. Lacker suggested that Opt-out means entities have the
right to share information; customers can ask them to stop. Opt-in means
customers have the right to no-information-sharing; entities can ask them for
permission to share. (Lacker, 2002)
Generally, privacy advocates and customers espouse the
Opt-in strategy. ‘By opting-in, they must give their explicit consent to a set
of rules that govern the way that information can be used, traded or
sold.’(Johnson, Bellman and Lohse 2002) Customers believe that they will
maintain more control over their privacy rights when adopting Opt-in model.
Since all released information is under their instruction. In fact, people feel
safer and comfortable to share information in this system, hence the Opt-in
strategy actually yields a higher customer response rate. Which leads to
produce more valuable information for entities. In addition, the Opt-in model
prevents the involuntary information leaks, because people were not aware of
the implicit privacy provisions or changes in the Opt-out model. In regard to
this problem, Facebook was forced by the U.S. government to introduce Opt-in
privacy changes in 2011. McIver and Elmagarmid further justified the customers’
preference on privacy control models ‘the overwhelming majority, 72.4 percent,
preferred the opt-in strategy of giving permission ahead of time.’(McIver and
Elamagarmid, 2002, p 251)
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