Description
WhatsApp is a widely used instant messaging application on smartphones. However, owing to privacy deficiencies in WhatsApp, alternative services that emphasize privacy protection, such as Threema, have emerged. Thus, the question arises whether users would switch from WhatsApp to Threema for privacy reasons, and what the factors are that would affect their switching intention. To answer these questions, we develop a research model examining the role of privacy in virtual migration, using the push-pull-mooring (PPM) migration framework as a theoretical lens. Based on the results of an online survey of 220 German-speaking smartphone users, we found that privacy protection is relevant to users’ switching intention in two ways: as a push effect encouraging users to leave WhatsApp, and as a pull effect attracting users to Threema. However, while our results suggest that peer influence facilitates WhatsApp users’ switching intention, switching costs appear to be a strong barrier.
Recommended Citation
Schreiner, Michel and Hess, Thomas, "Examining the Role of Privacy in Virtual Migration: The Case of WhatsApp and Threema" (2015). AMCIS 2015 Proceedings. 33.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2015/ISSecurity/GeneralPresentations/33
Examining the Role of Privacy in Virtual Migration: The Case of WhatsApp and Threema
WhatsApp is a widely used instant messaging application on smartphones. However, owing to privacy deficiencies in WhatsApp, alternative services that emphasize privacy protection, such as Threema, have emerged. Thus, the question arises whether users would switch from WhatsApp to Threema for privacy reasons, and what the factors are that would affect their switching intention. To answer these questions, we develop a research model examining the role of privacy in virtual migration, using the push-pull-mooring (PPM) migration framework as a theoretical lens. Based on the results of an online survey of 220 German-speaking smartphone users, we found that privacy protection is relevant to users’ switching intention in two ways: as a push effect encouraging users to leave WhatsApp, and as a pull effect attracting users to Threema. However, while our results suggest that peer influence facilitates WhatsApp users’ switching intention, switching costs appear to be a strong barrier.