Inequalities in privacy cynicism: An intersectional analysis of agency constraints

Abstract

A growing body of research highlights a trend toward widespread attitudes of privacy cynicism, apathy and resignation among Internet users. In this work, we extend these discussions by concentrating on the concept of user agency. Specifically, we examine how five types of structural constraints—interpersonal, cultural, technological, economic and political—restrict user agency and contribute to the prevalence of privacy cynicism as a common response. Drawing on critical data studies and adopting an intersectional lens, we demonstrate how these constraints disproportionately impact various social groups unequally, leading to a disparate distribution of agency and privacy cynicism. Furthermore, we contend that the sense of powerlessness engendered by excessive constraints on user agency can, in turn, exacerbate user vulnerability to such constraints, potentially initiating a vicious cycle of disempowerment. The article enriches the field of privacy research by linking the traditionally individual-focused and psychological dimensions of privacy with critical surveillance studies and by proposing potential interventions to mitigate privacy cynicism.