HOW DID THEY GET MY NAME - AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION OF CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARD SECONDARY INFORMATION USE

Strategic uses of information technology based on personal information may raise privacy concerns among consumers if these applications do n ot reflect a common set of values. This study addresses what different iates consumers who object to certain uses of personal information fro m those who do not object. Data collected by questionnaire from young consumers are used to identify a research approach for investigating a ttitudes toward the secondary use of personal information for direct m arketing. Secondary information use occurs when personal information c ollected for one purpose is subsequently used for a different purpose. While secondary information use is both widespread and legal, it may be viewed as an invasion of privacy when it occurs without the knowled ge or consent of the consumer. The setting for the study is the use of point-of-sale data from a supermarket frequent shopper program to gen erate direct mail solicitations. Control emerges as a clear theme in d ifferentiating individuals with positive overall attitudes toward seco ndary information use from those with negative attitudes. Study partic ipants with positive attitudes are less concerned about privacy (measu red as control over personal information), perceive shopping by mail a s beneficial, and have coping strategies for dealing with unwanted mai l. The results also suggest that theory related to categorization of s trategic issues as positive-negative with outcomes that are controllab le/uncontrollable provides a basis for understanding differences in th e ways individuals perceive practices involving personal information. Future research should focus on the specific characteristics of second ary use practices, including the sensitivity of the information, it so urce), its perceived relevance to the original transaction, and whethe r disclosure reflects informed consent or results in a potentially har mful outcome to the individual.