Linking Privacy Concerns for Traceable Information and Information Privacy Protective Responses on Electric Scooter Sharing Platforms

Abstract

Electric scooter (e-scooter) sharing platforms have taken over multiple cities across the globe. Yet, behind the craze, information privacy issue has been added to the list of concerns in this revolution of e-scooter sharing, as major companies and even governments’ regulatory bodies are alleged to collect and use traceable information generated by users’ routes without proper notice. We therefore attempt to conceptualize a new dimension of privacy concern (i.e., privacy concerns for traceable information: PCTI) in the context of e-scooter sharing platforms. In an attempt to understand users’ rising actions in protecting their privacy, we further examine the relationships among some antecedents, PCTI, and information privacy protective responses, drawing on the APCO macro model. Our research findings are expected to contribute to the body of knowledge on information privacy in the sharing economy context, and provide some practical implications to both users and industry members of e-scooter sharing services.