From privacy paradox to privacy choices: the mediating role of privacy concerns in the relationship between knowledge and online activities

Abstract

By integrating the Privacy Calculus Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study aims to examine how knowledge of privacy risks and engagement in online activities influence privacy concerns and privacy-protective behaviors among internet users. A cross-sectional survey (n = 500) was administered to a sample of Hebrew-speaking Israeli internet users. Participants completed validated scales measuring their knowledge of privacy risks, privacy concerns, privacy-protective behaviors and the extent of their online activities. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationships and mediating role of privacy concerns. Higher levels of knowledge of privacy risks are associated with greater privacy concerns, which, in turn, predict stronger engagement in privacy-protective behaviors. Knowledge does not have a significant direct effect on privacy-protective behavior, but it does have a significant indirect effect through privacy concerns and a significant overall effect. While engagement in online activities directly predicted privacy-protective actions, its indirect effect through concern was negligible. The structural equation model confirmed that privacy concerns are a central mediator of privacy decision-making. This study is limited by its focus on Israeli users, its cross-sectional design and its reliance on self-reported data, which limits causal inference and generalizability. Future research should incorporate longitudinal designs, behavioral measures and cross-cultural comparisons to assess the robustness of the proposed model. The findings suggest that interventions should increase users’ knowledge of privacy risks, activate privacy concerns and equip users with concrete skills to manage privacy. Educational programs that make risks personally salient and offer hands-on guidance, together with simplified and more transparent privacy controls, can help users translate concerns into sustained protective action. This study offers a revised perspective by framing the Privacy Paradox as a series of informed privacy choices rather than as contradictory behaviors. It integrates the Privacy Calculus Model with the Theory of Planned Behavior. It empirically demonstrates that privacy concerns mediate the relationship between knowledge of privacy risks and privacy-protective behaviors, thereby refining theoretical accounts of online privacy decision-making.