Skip to main content
HomeThe WWS Daily

- News, tips, inspiration you can trust to thrive in today’s digital age.

Search form

Main menu

  • Home
  • News & Features
  • Business & Economy
  • Tech & Trends
  • Health & Style
  • Arts & Culture
  • Contact Us

Would You Accept Free Pizza in Exchange for Your Personal Data?

David K. William February 14, 2018
Would You Accept Free Pizza in Exchange for Your Personal Data?

Sounds outrageous, but a big number of people will give up their personal information and online privacy for free pizza.

For some people, it’s a reward that makes them do things that can be considered strange even when they know better. Like posing for a silly pic to be posted on Instagram… or giving up friends’ email addresses to a third party online, a place where privacy and security are in short supply.  

 

The Digital Privacy Paradox

 

According to a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research released last year in June, there is strong evidence for the so-called “privacy paradox,” or the extreme inconsistency between how people say they feel about internet privacy and how they actually act online.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted an experiment in the fall of 2014 using digital currency. Every undergraduate student was offered $100 in Bitcoin with a stated view to establish a cryptocurrency community at MIT. As part of the experiment, students had to make at least three digital privacy choices:

  1. Whether they wanted to disclose the contact details of their closest friends;
  2. Whether they wanted to maximize the privacy of their trans-actions from the public, a commercial intermediary or the government;
  3. And, whether they subsequently wanted to take additional actions to protect their transaction privacy when using Bitcoin.

The researchers found that despite a section of participants explicitly saying they valued their data privacy, when presented with four online wallets containing bitcoins, the order that options were presented drove the decision of which wallet to use and not their privacy levels. Even when offered the added security benefit of encryption, only half the students opted to set it up.

“Whereas people say they care about privacy, they are willing to relinquish private data quite easily when incentivized to do so,” note the study authors in the research paper.

The students also showed little regard for their friends’ internet privacy. All of the participants were asked to give the email addresses of three of their closest friends. Half of the group were incentivized with a free pizza; the other half were offered nothing. A whopping 98 percent of the free pizza group provided their friends’ emails — and only slightly fewer (94 percent) did in the non-pizza group.

 

Why people who say they care about data privacy act against it

 

The reason why people say they want data privacy online, but then fail to take the necessary measures to get it could be a lack of understanding says Pekka Jäppinen, senior security adviser at Citrus Solutions.

“The challenge is that the ramifications of the privacy selection you make are not clear,” Jäppinen explains. “Evaluation of the risk for giving your data is very hard.” People need “clear visual cues” to help them understand the risks and benefits of sharing their data, he adds.

 

Online privacy risks

 

The dangers of having personal data breached are dire. You could be open to anything from online embarrassment to outright blackmail and phishing attacks that could drain your bank account, ruin your credit rating or tarnish your brand image. Still, this seems not very clear to some people.  

This study corroborates another recent study that finds people in different demographic groups other than millennials (i.e. baby boomers and everyone else) also might just be too desensitized to the barrage of cookie warnings and fine-printed online privacy agreements they see popping up everywhere.

“After being randomly exposed to irrelevant, but reassuring information about a tangential technology, students were less likely to avoid surveillance in their use of the technology. In all these cases, privacy-decreasing decisions take place regardless of stated preferences for privacy,” the MIT researchers observed.


David K. William is a web writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Everything he writes is inspired by life experiences and study. Follow him on Twitter @DavidKWilliam.


 

Related stories

 

5 More Ways to Keep Your Data Safe on Public Wi-Fi.

Congress Overturns Online Privacy Regulations. What Does This Mean for You?

 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER  newsletter icon.png

Get our best content, news, tips, and inspiration in your inbox - free.

No spam. Just great stories. Promise!
 

 

Join Over 20,000 Subscribers!

Get our best content, tips, and inspiration free in your inbox. Subscribe ››

Connect with us:  twitter.gif linkedin-gray.jpg email.gif RSS feed

 

 

 

 

 

Most read this week


Why You Should Consider Taking SEO Specialist Training Courses this Year
Why You Should Consider Taking SEO Specialist Training Courses this Year
Alexis Davis

Fitness Trends You’ll Wish You Knew Earlier
5 Fitness Trends You’ll Wish You Knew Earlier
Lavera Stewart

Amazon Free Educational Resources Helping Parents, Carers Support Their Children’s Learning
Amazon's Free Educational Resources Are Helping Parents, Carers Support Their Children’s Learning
George Mathews

Image for Power of Positive Thinking: Why You Should Choose Positive Thoughts
Power of Positive Thinking: Why You Should Choose Positive Thoughts
Jacob Dillon

 

Got a story or tip for us?

 

Tips_0_0_0.png

Here's how to submit it →

 

 

 

 

EXPLORE MORE ...

black-nav-bar1.png

News & Features  ›


HelpSystems Acquires Vera to Broaden Data Security Solutions

HelpSystems Acquires Vera to Broaden Data Security Solutions

woman_ufidruve_car_rental_expansion

World’s First Electric Vehicle Rental Company Announces Expansion to US

woman-outdoors-nature-looking-up-glitter-free-christmas-protect-environmental

Why We Must Have a Glitter-Free Christmas to Protect the Environment


The Most Annoying Video Call Habits at Work - Are You Guilty?

The Digital Playground: Creating Safe and Engaging Online Spaces for Kids

Understanding Fathers’ Rights in the Child Custody Process

hor-line-blue

Tech & Trends  ›


7 Ways to Make Your Mobile Device & Apps Run Faster

7 Ways to Make Your Mobile Device & Apps Run Faster

How to Leverage Technology for Flawless Event Planning

young-woman-using-smartphone-subway-dark-social-impact-businesses

Dark Social: What It Is and How It Affects Businesses


Understanding the Limitations of Antivirus Software

5 Web Accessibility Issues to Avoid

Ethics of Quality Assurance Tech Companies Need to Follow
 

hor_line_yellow

Arts & Culture  ›


zombie-hand-with-blood-wound-raised-from-ground-halloween-jump-scare-movies

10 Best Jump Scare Movies to Watch This Halloween (And Where to Stream Them)

Author-Joyce-Carol-Oats-Featured-Image - 10 Fun Tips on Writing by Joyce Carol Oates

10 Fun Tips on Writing by Joyce Carol Oates

How Content Writers Can Benefit from Web Scraping

How Content Writers Can Benefit from Web Scraping


How Reading More Inspires Better Writing

10 Fun Hobbies & Activities for Couples to Enjoy Together

5 Ways to Make Writing a Lot More Fun

hor-line-brown

Business & Economy  ›


Top Tips for Retaining Employees in Competitive Markets

Top Tips for Retaining Employees in Competitive Markets

female-home-business-owner-working-starting-growing-business-gnline

13 Things No One Tells You About Starting A Business Online

Digital Marketing 101: A Guide for Content Marketing and Advertisement

Digital Marketing 101: A Guide for Content Marketing and Advertisement


How Salesforce Anywhere Can Transform Remote Work With Real-Time Collaboration

Maximizing Device Compatibility with Restreaming and Packaging: Benefits for OTT Operators

Smooth Operator: 5 Daily Habits that Dramatically Reduce Repair Frequency

hor-line-green

Health & Style  ›


Top Water Damage & Restoration Advice for Homeowners

Top Water Damage & Restoration Advice for Homeowners

Why It's Okay to Daydream As a Creative Person

Healthy Foods to Eat If No Organic Options Are Available

Healthy Foods to Eat If No Organic Options Are Available

hori-3.jpg

Blissful Ways to Pamper Yourself at Low Cost

hori-3.jpg

7 Must-Haves for Hiking, Fishing, and Other Outdoor Activities

hori-3.jpg

The Different Types of Wine Explained in a Nutshell
 

Home | About Us | Contributors | Submissions | Advertise | Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Contact Us

Follow Us:

twitter_e.jpg linkedin-pg.jpg email-updates_icon.jpg

Committed to quality content and journalistic ethics.

RSS rss

Search WWS search-icon-trans_0_1.png

© 2025 The WWS Daily.