Users’ privacy behaviors in response to WhatsApp policy changes

Purpose After the changes in its privacy policies, WhatsApp has faced serious backlash from its users, with opinions and posts suggesting boycotts and a shift toward alternative applications becoming prominent. However, research on this reaction after the policy change might create in usage practices is quite limited. This study aims to investigate user decision-making in the dynamic landscape of mobile technologies, focusing on the factors influencing users’ choices between continuing with their current platform and migrating to alternatives. Design/methodology/approach Using migration theory and the push–pull mooring (PPM) model, the research identifies push factors (institutional privacy concerns), pull factors (relative privacy protection) and mooring factors (switching costs and exhaustion) as collectively shaping WhatsApp usage continuity. Findings Notably, the research highlights that institutional privacy concerns surprisingly do not significantly impact users’ intentions to persist with WhatsApp. Conversely, the relative privacy protection of an alternative platform emerges as a significant pull factor, influencing users’ intentions. Switching costs, particularly replacement and evaluation costs, exert a robust mooring effect, hindering migration and contributing to switching exhaustion. Results suggest that heightened exhaustion further strengthens the intention to persist with the current platform. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature by presenting findings that resonate with traditional migration approaches, offering a nuanced perspective on users’ decision-making processes. It delves into the impact of exhaustion on users’ intentions to continue using a platform, as well as the aftermath of policy changes, shedding light on switching dynamics and privacy concerns in reactive processes.