Harnessing the Power of Online Privacy Management: Exploring Affordance Considerations

The rise of information technologies has led to extensive data collection, enabling firms to deliver personalized services but also raising significant privacy concerns. Balancing data collection with privacy protection is crucial for online businesses. This study leverages the Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory to explore how service providers can design cookie-based features that facilitate lawful and reasonable user disclosure. By applying the affordance perspective, we link cookie-based features with users’ capabilities to manage private information, revisiting the five principles of CPM theory. Our research identifies IT-enabled privacy management affordances and intends to examine which affordances can encourage users to disclose private information while minimizing negative perceptions. We expect to offer a comprehensive framework for designing IT features that balance data collection and privacy protection, providing valuable guidance for enhancing user trust and engagement in digital environments. Keywords: personalization-privacy paradox, online privacy management IS, communication privacy management theory, information boundary, affordance.