The Impact of Privacy Communication Formats on Data Disclosure and AI App Adoption

This study examines how the format of privacy communication (text, infographic, audio) influences users’ willingness to provide personal information (WPPI) and their intention to use the app (ITU), considering the moderating roles of subjective privacy literacy (SPL) and privacy concerns (PC). Drawing on Construal Level Theory, we hypothesize that different formats shape psychological distance and construal levels, thus affecting behavior. Through a 3 (format: text vs. infographic vs. audio) × 1 between-subjects experiment with 396 participants, we find that audio reduced WPPI compared to text unless SPL was high. Infographics did not affect WPPI compared to text. WPPI predicted ITU, supporting full mediation. PC did not moderate the relationship between the format of privacy communication and WPPI. These results highlight that the communication format is not neutral and that SPL shapes responses to privacy notices. Privacy communications should be tailored to user characteristics, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.