A Quantitative Study of Consumers’ Awareness in Veneto on Big Data Collection and Usage Practices by E-commerce Platforms, and Their Perceptions of Benefits and Risks

This dissertation investigates the perceptions of consumers residing in the Veneto region of Big Data collection and usage practices by E-commerce platforms. More specifically, it aims at understanding their level of awareness of these practices, the most common risk and benefit they perceive from them, and their evaluation of the trade-off between these benefits and risks. For this research, a quantitative approach is implemented, which involves the development of a structured survey distributed online through social media. This survey gathers data only on consumers residing in the Veneto region and who have shopped on E-commerce platforms at least once over the past year. The main theoretical frameworks that support the design of the questionnaire are the model by Tennakoon and Lasanthika, used to assess the level of awareness, and the Privacy Calculus Theory, which helps to explain how consumers weigh risks against benefits. The results of this study will contribute to both academic research and business strategies.