Trust Consequences of Non-Native Language Privacy Policies
(R2024-122557)

AUTHORS

Florian Dost, Brandenburg University of Technology; Lennard Schmidt, Brandenburg University of Technology; Noelia Venet, ESCP Business School; Wei Zhou, ESCP Business School

ABSTRACT

Users of digital services get frequently confronted with non-native language privacy policies (NNLPPs). However, content in non-native languages may activate different behavioral heuristics compared to native languages. A multi-language experiment finds that even when non-native speakers proficiently understand the content of a NNLPP, they perceive and judge the privacy policy as 1) less risky, and 2) more trustworthy compared to native speakers. Importantly, this effect is not language specific but arises across several languages (English, French, Spanish) and depends more on users being non-native speakers than their respective language proficiency. Consequently, non-native speakers are more willing to share private information.