BLACKSBURG (WSLS 10) - Research shows a growing concern for online privacy, but internet users give up personal information every day in exchange for the convenience and functionality of a variety of online services.
Researchers at Virginia Tech are calling it a "privacy paradox," where people want to protect themselves, but also want the goodies.
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According to Professor of Accounting and Information Systems France Belanger, such goodies might include product notifications from retailers and location-based services.
Belanger says she's been researching ways to understand and improve individuals' information privacy practices for nearly a decade. She says online privacy is different from online security, which encompasses efforts to mitigate theft of personal information.
With these obstacles in mind, Belanger teamed up with Robert Crossler, who earned a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. The pair's most recent project is the "Privacy Helper" mobile app, which teaches users about the features on their phones that can affect privacy.
Belanger and Crossler will make "Privacy Helper" available to the public after they complete usability testing.