Understanding the privacy protection disengagement behaviour of contactless digital service users: the roles of privacy fatigue and privacy literacy

Contactless digital service (CDS) users show different degrees of privacy protection disengagement when facing privacy invasion. This study tries to explore the factors that motivate CDS users to engage in privacy protection disengagement when facing privacy invasion based on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework and regulatory focus theory. Data collected from 328 Chinese contactless digital menu service (CDMS) users are analysed via partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that privacy invasion indirectly affects privacy protection disengagement through partial mediation of privacy fatigue and privacy literacy. Moreover, the relationships between privacy fatigue/privacy literacy and privacy protection disengagement are moderated by a prevention focus. The results of this study provide a reference for CDS providers and policy-makers on how to reduce privacy invasion in CDSs and promote the healthy development of CDSs.