A usability study of internet privacy policies for state and commercial websites
by Shirley Ann Becker
International Journal of Services and Standards (IJSS), Vol. 1, No. 1, 2004

Abstract: Increasingly, consumers are getting online to take advantage of the unprecedented convenience of accessing goods and services. However, there are still web barriers preventing some consumers from exploiting this opportunity. One of the main barriers is concern over the privacy of personal information when a consumer visits a website. To address this concern, the Federal Trade Commission has developed a set of Fair Information Practices Principles. Many web vendors use these principles to develop online privacy policies as a means of promoting consumer trust. This study assesses the contents and reading complexity of privacy policies posted by 40 state government and commercial sites. The principles set forth by the Federal Trade Commission are used as a basis for assessing the content of these policies. The findings show that for each of the principles, privacy policies lack content that could promote consumer trust. It was also found that the reading complexity of these policies posed a significant barrier because personal information was not well-defined, technical jargon lacked explanation, sentences were complex, and codes and regulations were quoted as part of information disclosure.

Online publication date: Thu, 18-Nov-2004

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