# Personalizing Privacy Protection With Individuals' Regulatory Focus: Would You Preserve or Enhance Your Information Privacy?

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.17838 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.17838/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 27 Feb 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [It's My Agent, Not Me: Personal Privacy Boundaries in AI-Delegated Information Sharing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.21712/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this study, we explore the effectiveness of persuasive messages endorsing the adoption of a privacy protection technology (IoT Inspector) tailored to individuals' regulatory focus (promotion or prevention). We explore if and how regulatory fit (i.e., tuning the goal-pursuit mechanism to individuals' internal regulatory focus) can increase persuasion and adoption. We conducted a between-subject experiment (N = 236) presenting participants with the IoT Inspector in gain ("Privacy Enhancing Technology" -- PET) or loss ("Privacy Preserving Technology" -- PPT) framing. Results show that the effect of regulatory fit on adoption is mediated by trust and privacy calculus processes: prevention-focused users who read the PPT message trust the tool more. Furthermore, privacy calculus favors using the tool when promotion-focused individuals read the PET message. We discuss the contribution of understanding the cognitive mechanisms behind regulatory fit in privacy decision-making to support privacy protection.