The Privacy Paradox of Utilizing the Internet of Things and Wi-Fi Tracking in Smart Cities

In recent years, we have seen the increase of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, products and services. The Internet of Things will capture a large amount of data pertaining from the environment, as well as their users. The real value of collecting data will be the result of data processing and aggregation in a large-scale where new knowledge can be extracted. However, such procedures can also lead to user privacy issues. This study describes what citizens do and do not know about Wi-Fi tracking and how that knowledge affects their responses to privacy and security risks. The results of this study showed that there is a lack of awareness towards Wi-Fi tracking by people in the municipality studied. The results show that most respondents are willing to cooperate with Wi-Fi tracking, despite the fact that most people have concerns of losing control about how their data is gathered and used. This study also found that respondents indicated Wi-Fi tracking as useful and especially safety is appointed as an important benefit of Wi-Fi tracking. The results of this study confirm that privacy, trust and perceived benefits significantly influence the willingness to disclose personal information