Three Essays on Information Privacy of Mobile Users in the Context of Mobile Apps

The increasing demand for mobile apps is out the current capability of mobile app developers. In addition, the growing trend in smartphone ownership and the time people spend on mobile apps has raised several opportunities and risks for users and developers. The average time everyday a user spend on smartphones to use mobile apps is more than two hours. The worldwide mobile app revenue increase is estimated to grow 33%, $19 billion. Three quarter of the time used on mobile apps is solely for using game and social networking apps. To provide more customized services and function to users, mobile apps need to access to personal information. However, 80% of mobile apps put people's information privacy at risk. There is a major gap in the literature about the privacy concerns of mobile device users in the context of mobile apps. This dissertation addresses one fundamental research question: how does individuals' privacy change in the context of mobile apps? More precisely, the focus of this dissertation is on information privacy role in individuals' and mobile app developers' protective behaviors. We investigate the information sensitivity level influence on mobile app developers' emphasis on privacy across mobile app categories. The results show information sensitivity level has a significant impact on developers' emphasis on secondary usage of information. Moreover, we analyze the privacy trade-off dynamism in using a new social networking app and how it could result in emotional attachment. Results show initial use and initial disclosure influence the privacy trade-off from pre-use to initial-use period. Finally, the effect of privacy concern and engagement on emotional attachment is demonstrated.\ud \ud This dissertation addresses one fundamental research question: how does individuals' privacy\ud \ud change in the context of mobile apps? More precisely, the focus of this dissertation is on\ud \ud information privacy role in individuals' and mobile app developers' protective behaviors. We\ud \ud investigate the information sensitivity level influence on mobile app developers' emphasis on\ud \ud privacy across mobile app categories. The results show information sensitivity level has a\ud \ud significant impact on developers' emphasis on secondary usage of information. Moreover, we\ud \ud analyze the privacy trade-off dynamism in using a new social networking app and how it could\ud \ud result in emotional attachment. Results show initial use and initial disclosure influence the privacy\ud \ud trade-off from pre-use to initial-use period. Finally, the effect of privacy concern and engagement\ud \ud on emotional attachment is demonstrated