Understanding The Effects of Privacy Policy and Government Regulation on Privacy Protection Behavior

Objective While consumers' reluctance to disclose personal information threatens the operational efficacy of e-commerce platforms, existing research fails to systematically explain the psychological and institutional drivers of privacy protection behavior. The study addresses this gap by proposing an integrative framework to examine three dimensions of influencing factors: (1) institutional governance mechanisms, (2) cognitive mediators, and (3) individual boundary conditions. The study aims to reveal how these multilevel elements collectively shape consumers' behavioral responses in digital transactions. Methods A survey of 398 e-commerce platform users was conducted, employing a seven-point Likert scale questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using Amos 24.0 analyzed direct and mediated relationships, while moderated mediation effects were tested via the Process macro. Results Our findings indicate that privacy policy, corporate digital responsibility, and government regulation have a significant negative impact on privacy protection behavior. Furthermore, privacy concerns and digital trust act as mediators between privacy policy, corporate digital responsibility, government regulation, and privacy protection behavior. Additionally, information analysis capabilities and information sensitivity moderate the relationships between privacy policy, corporate digital responsibility, government regulation, privacy concerns, and digital trust. Conclusion This paper presents a comprehensive framework for understanding the adoption of privacy protection behaviors by consumers, offering valuable insights for e-commerce platforms seeking to enhance their consumer privacy protection practices.