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Personalization and Privacy Choice

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Rhodes

    (Toulouse School of Economics)

  • Jidong Zhou

    (Yale University)

Abstract

This paper studies consumers' privacy choices when firms can use their data to make personalized offers. We first introduce a general framework of personalization and privacy choice, and then apply it to personalized recommendations, personalized prices, and personalized product design. We argue that due to firms' reaction in the product market, consumers who share their data often impose a negative externality on other consumers. Due to this privacy-choice externality, too many consumers share their data relative to the consumer optimum; moreover, more competition, or improvements in data security, can lower consumer surplus by encouraging more data sharing.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Rhodes & Jidong Zhou, 2024. "Personalization and Privacy Choice," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2388, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:2388
    as

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    File URL: https://economics.yale.edu/sites/default/files/2024-04/d2388.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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