Influencing factors for privacy choices in a cookie banner : How knowledge, situational factors and interface affect user choices in a cookie banner

In order to improve the user experience and increase sales on the web, companies use so-called cookies to collect user data. However, cookies can be a major risk to users' privacy. Since GDPR and LEK were instituted, informed consent is now required to download cookies on users' computers. This is done through so-called cookie banners. These banners have no specific design requirements and the companies can then fill these banners with nudging and dark patterns. This may influence the user to consent to cookies without their intention. Many studies have highlighted the impact of the interface on the user, but several studies have also touched on other factors that can influence the user's choice in a cookie banner, for example the user's knowledge of cookies and situational factors when the user encounters a cookie banner. This study aims to investigate in a qualitative way how the factors knowledge, situational factors and interface, both individually and in interaction, affect the users' privacy choice in a cookie banner. Through nine semi-structured interviews with users from different age groups and backgrounds, the empirical evidence showed how the various factors affect the participants. The way in which the various factors influenced and interacted for the participants' privacy choices was very individual. However, we could determine that all the factors; knowledge, situational factors and interfaces often influence the selection process in various combinations. However, this can be both an awareness of the user, but also a more autonomous process