Transparency by design: the effect of privacy policies visualisation on brand trust and perceived intrusion

Recent technological trends have led to the development of a data driven society where technological companies are strengthening their capability in accessing, collecting and tracking consumers’ data. However, communication of privacy policies has mostly remained the same since the beginning of the internet, rather than evolving alongside technological development, posing an ongoing risk for consumers. This study aims to explore the relationship between consumers and IoT privacy policies observing the effects of diverse policies developed with different transparency levels. By manipulating the levels of transparency with the use of explanatory infographics we examine the effect of a visualisation of information tool. Findings from 286 individuals taking part a 2 × 2 experiment confirm extensive benefits resulting from visualisation of privacy policies leading to increased trust to the advertising company and lower perceived intrusiveness of the ad. Justification for the collection of user data mediated the effect of visualisation to perceived company trust.