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Abstract
This paper examines the persistence of Americans’ misunderstanding of the function of privacy policies. We also identify groups that have misplaced confidence in the privacy policy label and address whether the groups’ patterns of misperception have changed over time. The findings add a new dimension to the argument that the usefulness of privacy policies needs to be reassessed. As a remedy, we call for media literacy programs to address structural features of media systems that lead to broadly held misperceptions such as the one examined here.
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Notes on contributors
Joseph Turow
Joseph Turow (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) is the Robert Lewis Shayon professor of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. His research interests include media systems; the production of culture; and the intersection of marketing, digital media, and society.
Michael Hennessy
Michael Hennessy (Ph.D., Northwestern University) is a researcher at the Annenberg School for Communication. His research interests are the combination of structural equation modeling and intervention program/behavioral theory, growth curve analysis of longitudinal data, and using factorial surveys to design effective behavioral intervention programs.
Nora Draper
Nora Draper (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) is an assistant professor of Communication at the University of New Hampshire. Her research examines the influence of institutional forces on privacy, surveillance, reputation, and identity.