The Unconscious App Consumer: Discovering and comparing the information-seeking patterns among mobile application consumers

The so-called privacy paradox - consumers expressing their need for privacy but acting in the opposite way - can be observed in the app market. Consumers download apps without a monetary payment, but need to provide personal data, without being aware of the amount and quality of data requested. Does this indicate that app users are unconscious consumers? This study analyzes consumers' use of information in the app purchase process. The results of our analysis reveal that information received from consumers' social environment is very important, whereas information about security and trustworthiness is not seen as crucial by many consumers. In a subsequent cluster analysis we can show, that consumers differ regarding their information preferences and at least some consumers indeed do not care about their privacy and security of personal data.