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


woman_wearing_swag_t-shirt
10 Awesome Company Swag Ideas Employees Will Love
George Mathews

Why Cybersecurity Alliances Are Being Formed (And Their Value)
Cathy Trimidal

kids-little-girls-beach-happy-summer-activities
Cheap At-Home Activities for Children to Save Money this Summer
George Mathews

Twitter Introduces 'Heart' Icon, Hopes to Win More Love
Twitter Introduces 'Heart' Icon, Hopes to Win More Love
Staff Writer

 

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  ›


Insolvencies Rise - Experts Encourage Future Planning and Closer Attention to Financial Performance

Insolvencies Rise: Experts Encourage Future Planning & Attention to Financial Performance

person-isolated-city-street-connected-world-makes-coronavirus-scarier-helps-deal-with-it

A Connected World Makes Coronavirus Scarier, but Also Helps Us Deal with It

The Future of Onboarding New Graduates Is Remote Recruiting

The Future of Onboarding New Graduates Is Remote Recruiting


Understand and Plan Your Digital Afterlife

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

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

hor-line-blue

Tech & Trends  ›


modern_business_tech_erp_systems-concept

Are You Keeping Pace with Other Businesses Using ERP Systems?

software-developer-coding-scrum-agile-business-practices - illustration

How to Leverage SCRUM for More Agile Business Practices

Massive Trends in Digital Marketing You Cannot Afford to Ignore


Tech Troubles? 4 Business Strategies To Avoid Tech Disasters

Understanding the Limitations of Antivirus Software

5 Web Accessibility Issues to Avoid
 

hor_line_yellow

Arts & Culture  ›


venue_school_formal_graduation_party_spectacular_school_ball_themes_for_prom

10 Spectacular School Ball Themes for Prom

science_art_writing_illustration

Why Writing Is Both a Science and An Art

Skills That Make Successful Scriptwriters

7 Key Skills That Make Successful Scriptwriters


What Your Handwriting Says About You

12 Reasons Reading Widely Is So Important for Writers

How Reading More Inspires Better Writing

hor-line-brown

Business & Economy  ›


How Leading Companies Use Live Chat Software to Boost Business

How Leading Companies Use Live Chat Software to Boost Business

person-using-smartphone-viewing-ad-mobile-marketing-copywriting

Ads Copywriting: Tips to Craft the Best Ads for Mobile Marketing

5 Mistakes that Cause Small Businesses to Fail in Their First Year


10 Lame Excuses You Probably Use to Procrastinate

10 Ways Resourceful People Build Resilience & Turn Failure to Success

How to Buy a House or Property With Bad Credit

hor-line-green

Health & Style  ›


How to Care for Your Ears Properly, and Problems that Can Arise If You Don’t

How to Care for Your Ears, and Problems that Can Arise If You Don’t

woman-holding-red-heart-shaped-balloon-self-love-celebrating-valentines-day

Valentine's Self-love: Top 10 Most Popular Self-Care Activities

Could Workplace Stress Be Affecting Your Life and Career?

Could Workplace Stress Be Affecting Your Life and Career?

hori-3.jpg

Asbestos Hazard: Your Responsibilities As a Property Owner

hori-3.jpg

Blissful Ways to Pamper Yourself at Low Cost

hori-3.jpg

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

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.