Building online trust through privacy practices

This study applies Mayer et al. [24] trust model to an Internet context. A model is presented linking privacy policy, through trustworthiness, to online trust, and then to customers' loyalty and their willingness to provide truthful information. The model is tested using a sample of 269 responses. The findings suggest that consumers' trust in a company is closely linked with the perception of the company's respect for customer privacy. Trust in turn is linked to increased customer loyalty that can be manifested through increased purchases, openness to trying new products, and willingness to participate in programs that use additional personal information.