Consumers’ Views on Privacy in E-Commerce

Information privacy protection and invasion of privacy in e-commerce have be - come important topics in both everyday activities and scientific discussions. The aim of this study is to understand how consumers regard privacy in business-to-consumer e-com- merce. As this study focuses on consumers' own interpretations of privacy, the research approach is empirical, rather than theoretical. Based on a phenomenographical analysis of consumer interviews, we identify different layers of understanding by focusing on the referential objects and the structural components of information privacy. The result in - cludes 25 different privacy conceptions, showing that consumers' view of privacy is situated and constantly under construction as the consumer gets new information or experiences.