The Cultural Context of Personal Data Disclosure Decisions

This paper introduces the research design of the interdisciplinary project Vectors of data disclosure – A comparative study of the use of personal data from a legal, cultural studies, and information systems perspective[1], funded by the Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation[2], from a cultural studies point of view. Based on a literature review, factors that can influence people’s willingness to share (WTS) personal data are identified and discussed. Subsequently, a research framework is developed that approaches the narrower cultural context of data disclosure decisions. It aims to provide insights into people’s mentalities regarding data sharing on a macro level and thus into the cultural preconditions of information governance