N°24-99: Nothing to Hide? Gender and Age Differences in Willingness to Share Data

Many digital applications rely on the willingness of users to voluntarily share personal data. Yet some users are more comfortable sharing data than others. To document these differences, we draw on questions to a representative sample of U.S.\ households added to the New York Fed's Survey of Consumer Expectations. We find that women are less willing than men, and older individuals less willing than the young, to share their financial transaction data in exchange for better offers on financial services. Across these groups, there are significant differences in attitudes, such as willingness to take financial risks, concerns that data will become publicly available, and concerns around personal safety. Responses suggest that privacy regulation can increase the willingness to share data, but effects do not differ by gender.