An Information Privacy Culture Index Framework and Instrument to Measure Privacy Perceptions across Nations: Results of an Empirical Study

Abstract

This research proposes an Information Privacy Culture Index Framework (IPCIF) with a related Information Privacy Culture Index Instrument (IPCII) to measure privacy perceptions across nations. The proposed framework is based on three concepts, namely that an information privacy culture encompasses consumers’ privacy expectations, their actual experiences when organisations process their personal information, as well as their general privacy concerns. The underlying foundation of the framework is based on the Fair Information Practice Principles and OECD privacy guidelines, to allow for comparison of consumers’ expectations across data protection jurisdictions. A survey method was deployed to collect data in South Africa – the first participating country in the study – to build a global information privacy culture index. The index revealed that South Africans have a very high expectation of privacy, but that they feel organisations are failing to meet both those expectations and the regulatory requirements of this county’s data protection laws. There seems to be a disconnect between what consumers expect in terms of privacy and the way in which organisations are honouring (or failing to honour) those expectations, which has resulted in a breach of trust and of the social contract. The government, the Information Regulator and organisations can leverage the results of the index in order to implement controls aimed at addressing the gaps identified from a consumer and compliance perspective.