Sceptics of online privacy and supporters of companies using behavioral data : a study of changing attitudes towards sharing behavioral data in the Swedish population

With the increased use of the internet, different actors are increasingly collecting and using personal data for various purposes. This study investigates the attitudes of Swedish population towards corporate collection of personal data, and if the attitude has changed between 2015 and 2016. Additionally, the study investigates how the issue of private privacy has been portrayed in Swedish mass media during the same time period, and to what extent this may have affected the citizens’ attitudes. The study is based on a survey using a probability sample conducted in in 2015 and 2016 and a content analysis of a total sample of articles published on the subject in Swedish mass media during the same time period. The results show that the majority of the population is still negative towards corporate data collection, however, they are less negative than the previous year. The issue has not been portrayed more positive in mass media during 2016 than 2015, however, the promotion of a “positive” perspective can have been interpretive prerogative, which may have affected the citizens’ attitudes