Research On Influence Factors Of LBS Users’ Privacy Concern

Location Based Services (LBS) are value-added services that integrate mobile devices’ locations and other information. It was derived from the invention of GPS technology in 1980s. Recent years, with the booming of the mobile internet, LBS also have highly advanced. Now, there are mainly four types of LBS are offered in China: map service (e.g. baidu map navigation), sign in service (e.g. dazhongdianping sign in, sina microbolg sign in), nearby query(e.g. ask for the restaurant nearby), and location based social(e.g. weixin). However, many incidents and research show that privacy issues are the central influence of LBS usage rate. So it is very necessaryand valuable to investigate the influence factors of LBS user’s privacy concern.This research focuses on the characteristics and privacy issues of the LBS. Through reviewing the articles concerning LBS and information privacy, research theoretical basis are found, and the hypotheses are proposed. Form joining the control agency theory, privacy calculus theory, and the theory of planned behavior, comes the influence factors of LBS users’ privacy concern model. This research uses questionnaire survey to collect data. Through sampling, pre-testing, and issuing the formal questionnaires, the research data are collected and statistic analyzed. Then the paper uses structural equation model analysis to test the reliability and validity of questionnaires, to analyze the model path, and to test the hypothesis. Some conclusions are proposed:(1) The privacy issues of LBS are consisting of four aspects:collection, error, second usage, and unauthorized access.(2) Users have high privacy concern for LBS, and the risks are emphasized.(3) Information control has a negative impact on privacy concern.(4) The privacy calculus theory can partly support the research of LBS users’ privacy concern.(5) The control agency theory has good scientificity. And it can perfectly support the research of influence factors of LBS users’ privacy concern.(6) Information sensitivity has a positive impact on perceived risk of LBS users.(7) The theory of planned behavior can finely support the research of influence factors of LBS users’ privacy concern.This research may help the LBS providers from solving the privacy issues and improving the service quality. Furthermore, it introduces traditional theories of information privacy researches to LBS privacy research, so that it proves the scientificity of these theories, and the applicability for the new area.At last, the paper has some contributions:(1) It applies the privacy calculus theory, control agency theory, and the theory of planned behavior to the research of LBS privacy, as to provide a new research path. (2) It proposes a proper systematic model of influence factors of LBS users’ privacy concern.