Title: The willingness to provide personal information - a potential relationship with the usage of privacy enhancing self-sovereign identity technology

Authors: Matthew Kenneth Hendricks; Benedikt Hirschfelder; Pragasen Pillay

Addresses: School of Management Studies, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa ' School of Management Studies, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa ' School of Management Studies, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa

Abstract: Self-sovereign identity technology, currently in its early stages, may allow consumers to have full control of their consumer data via blockchain. This theoretical paper proposes a conceptual model intended to illuminate the factors that influence a consumer to disclose personal information over the internet. More importantly, this paper proposes a model to understand a proposed connection between this willingness to disclose personal information, and the use of self-sovereign identity technology. This model was tested empirically using an online survey of 347 adult South Africans and utilised partial least squares structural equation modelling. A novel connection between the intention to use self-sovereign identity technology and the willingness to provide personal information was confirmed. Additionally, past experience with a company, reputation of a company, type of personal information requested, benefits, consumer characteristics and control were shown to be significant influencers of the willingness to disclose personal information.

Keywords: blockchain technology; self-sovereign identity; SSI; personal information; privacy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIPSI.2021.120356

International Journal of Information Privacy, Security and Integrity, 2021 Vol.5 No.2, pp.138 - 153

Received: 20 May 2021
Accepted: 10 Nov 2021

Published online: 17 Jan 2022 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article