Eye in the Sky: Contextualizing Development with Online Privacy Concern in Western Balkan Countries

Abstract

Problem zabrinutosti za online privatnost dobio je značajnu pozornost istraživača u proteklom desetljeću. Istraživanja za zapadna razvijena društva pokazala su da su zabrinutost za privatnost te poimanje rizika viši u razvijenim zemljama. Međutim, relevantnost zabrinutosti za online privatnost u kontekstu ekonomskog razvoja ostaje neistražena. U digitalnom društvu zabrinutost za online privatnost može imati snažan učinak na realnu ekonomiju i ne smije se podcijeniti. Ako doista postoji veza između razvoja i zabrinutosti za online privatnost, razvoj u posttranzicijskom razdoblju bit će pod značajnim utjecajem penetracije novih tehnologija. U ovom radu pokušavamo odrediti razinu zabrinutosti za online privatnost u odabranim posttranzicijskim zemljama zapadnog Balkana te reperkusije na budući razvoj tih zemalja. Prethodna istraživanja za regiju pokazala su značajne strukturne razlike u općoj zabrinutosti za privatnost, a ovdje se uvodi novi pristup koji se fokusira na zabrinutost za online privatnost. Online privatnost promatra se u kontekstu provedbe ključnih reformi za regiju zapadnog Balkana, kao i za ostale manje razvijene posttranzicijske zemlje. Razlike u razini zabrinutosti za online privatnost između posttranzicijskih zemalja zapadnog Balkana razmatraju se u kontekstu njihovog ekonomskog, tehnološkog i institucionalnog razvoja, zajedno s implikacijama za nositelje javnih politika.The online privacy issue has received a great deal of scholarly attention in the past decade. Studies for Western developed societies have shown that privacy concern and risk awareness are higher in more developed countries; however, the relevance of online privacy concern in the context of economic development remains unexplored. In a digital society, online privacy concern could have significant impact on the real economy; therefore it is not to be underestimated. If indeed development is influenced by the penetration of new technologies, the connection between online privacy concern and development could have a major role in post-transition economies. In this paper we try to determine the level of online privacy concern in a set of post-transition, Western Balkan countries and its repercussions on the future development of these countries. Past research for the Western Balkan region has shown significant structural differences in general privacy concern and here we introduce a new approach which focuses on online privacy concern. We contextualize online privacy with the implementation of reforms which are crucial for the Western Balkan region as well as for other less developed and post-transition economies. The differences in the level of online privacy concern among post-transition Western Balkan countries are discussed in the context of their economic, technological and institutional development, and policy implications are suggested