Privacy and Security Concerns Related to Internet Use in Canada

Internet use in Canada and the us has grown and has transcended the lives of many, as it offers unprecedented :c'onveniences. However , privacy and security concerns related to Internet use are widely prevalent and are -:~considered as barriers to realizing the Internet's fullest ._''.' . ~ ,'. potential in the e-Commerce and e-Health arena. Two related studies were conducted to try and .C''':''~'uriderstand the extent of privacy and security concerns related to Intern~t use. Using a national dataset, study 1 examined the profile of Internet use, as well as Internet privacy and security concerns among Canadians. On average, ;57 percent of respondents used the Internet on a regular basis, and Internet privacy and security concerns were expressed by SO and 78 percent, respectively. Given that Internet privacy and security are complex .constructs, these constructs should be examined from a multidimensional ~erspective. As such, study 2 focused on the development of a tool to measure Internet privacy and security concerns. Another purpose of this study 2'was to examine the relationships between Internet privacy and security factors with e-Commerce (i.e., shopping online) and e-Health (i.e., accessing health information online). This study was examined from the perspective of potential customers in Canada, particularly through a survey of students enrolled at a Canadian university. Internet privacy and security tool development led to five statistically determined factors: Interaction, Data Intrusion, Privacy Policy, Security, and Information/Data Sharing. Further analyses showed that the level of concern was significantly higher in four of five factors for those who did not shop online, compared to those who did. -However, no statistically significant difference emerged in any of the five factors in accessing e-Health information . The results of these two studies may have implications for managerial and government regulatory bodies establishing Internet privacy and security codes with further research based on the present findings. Also, the findings may be used to address customers'/marketers' concerns through evidence-based education programs and the development of alternate marketing strategies among young adults. It is hoped the results will form the basis for future research with other customer groups especially as it relates to the concepts of trust and risk.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo