Consumer Attitudes and Privacy Concerns For Online Behavioral Advertising

Online behavioral advertising is a special type of targeted advertising.For online behavioral advertising, it is necessary to collect data of users’ internet usage history as a result of ‘cookie’ uploads. Use of personal data is intensively debated by policy makers in the US and Europe as it creates privacy concerns in users.In this study, it is aimed to determine whether consumer attitudes and privacy concerns for online behavioral advertising affect attitudes towardit.The qualitative research method was used in this study and data were collected by semi-structured interview. Collected data were analyzed by descriptive analysis method. According to research findings; consumers have both positive and negative attitudes toward online behavioral advertising.It has been concluded that consumers have a positive attitude towards online behavioral advertising because they are interest-based, reminder and informative. However, irritation and feeling of being followed which caused by intense exposure of the consumer to same advertising content is main reasons ofthe negative attitudes toward online behavioral advertising. Almost every consumer feels privacy concern for their personal data. Privacy concerns include getting ripped off, being implicated in a crime, and viruses.Therefore, privacy concerns have a negative impact on consumer attitudes toward online behavioral advertising. Limitation of collected personal data and creation of shorter and clearer disclosures of privacy policies seem effective in transforming attitudes toward online behavioral advertising into positive by reducing privacy concerns