Dealing with privacy and security risks-app consumers in mobile ecosystems

The paper addresses the phenomenon that consumers buy and use mobile apps extensively despite the fact that many have only little specific knowledge about them. In particular this article seeks to explore how consumers deal with the risks and possible security frauds of mobile ecosystems. Based on the contextual characteristics of mobile ecosystems it is shown that app markets are characterized by high information asymmetries, which provide the ground for substantive risks due to the possibility of "cheating" by the market partners. The results of an exploratory study show that consumers use two strategies to overcome the perceived risks. Most importantly, they have high trust in the mobile ecosystem and the actors involved in it. Furthermore, they perceive themselves of being capable to deal with the risks involved in app consumption.

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