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Understanding people's intention to use facial recognition services: the roles of network externality and privacy cynicism

Tu Lyu (Qingdao University, Qingdao, China)
Yulin Guo (Qingdao University, Qingdao, China)
Hao Chen (Qingdao University, Qingdao, China)

Information Technology & People

ISSN: 0959-3845

Article publication date: 17 March 2023

635

Abstract

Purpose

Based on the cognition–affect–conation pattern, this study explores the factors that affect the intention to use facial recognition services (FRS). The study adopts the driving factor perspective to examine how network externalities influence FRS use intention through the mediating role of satisfaction and the barrier factor perspective to analyze how perceived privacy risk affects FRS use intention through the mediating role of privacy cynicism.

Design/methodology/approach

The data collected from 478 Chinese FRS users are analyzed via partial least squares-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The study produces the following results. (1) FRS use intention is motivated directly by the positive affective factor of satisfaction and the negative affective factor of privacy cynicism. (2) Satisfaction is affected by cognitive factors related to network externalities. Perceived complementarity and perceived compatibility, two indirect network externalities, positively affect satisfaction, whereas perceived critical mass, a direct network externality, does not significantly affect satisfaction. In addition, perceived privacy risk generates privacy cynicism. (3) Resistance to change positively moderates the relationship between privacy cynicism and intention to use FRS.

Originality/value

This study extends knowledge on people's use of FRS by exploring affect- and cognitive-based factors and finding that the affect-based factors (satisfaction and privacy cynicism) play fully mediating roles in the relationship between the cognitive-based factors and use intention. This study also expands the cognitive boundaries of FRS use by exploring the functional condition between affect-based factors and use intention, that is, the moderating role of resistance to use.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding: This study is funded by Humanities and Social Science Fund of Ministry of Education of China (No. 20YJC630003), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2021T140353, 2021M691688), Postdoctoral Applied Research Project of Qingdao in China.

Citation

Lyu, T., Guo, Y. and Chen, H. (2023), "Understanding people's intention to use facial recognition services: the roles of network externality and privacy cynicism", Information Technology & People, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-10-2021-0817

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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