The value of personal information in online markets with endogenous privacy
File(s)privacy-Revision October 2017 v5-W.pdf (646.26 KB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Montes, R
Sand-Zantman, W
Valletti, T
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We investigate the effects of price discrimination on prices, profits, and consumer surplus when (a) at least one competing firm can use consumers’ private information to price discriminate yet (b) consumers can prevent such use by paying a “privacy cost.” Unlike a monopolist, competing duopolists do not always benefit from a higher privacy cost because each firm’s profit decreases—and consumer surplus increases—with that cost. Under such competition, the optimal strategy for an owner of consumer data that sells information in a single block is selling to only one firm, thereby maximizing the stakes for rival buyers. The resulting inefficiencies imply that policy makers should devote more attention to discouraging exclusivity deals and less to ensuring that consumers can easily protect their privacy.
Date Issued
2019-03-15
Date Acceptance
2017-10-18
Citation
Management Science, 2019, 65 (3), pp.1342-1362
ISSN
0025-1909
Publisher
INFORMS
Start Page
1342
End Page
1362
Journal / Book Title
Management Science
Volume
65
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2018 INFORMS.
Subjects
Social Sciences
Science & Technology
Technology
Management
Operations Research & Management Science
Business & Economics
price targeting
privacy
consumer data
big data
marketing
CONSUMER PRIVACY
CUSTOMER
ECONOMICS
COMPETITION
08 Information and Computing Sciences
15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
Operations Research
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-05-31