IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jcopol/v45y2022i2d10.1007_s10603-021-09500-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Choice Architectures in the Digital Economy: Towards a New Understanding of Digital Vulnerability

Author

Listed:
  • N. Helberger

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • M. Sax

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • J. Strycharz

    (University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam School of Communication Research)

  • H.-W. Micklitz

    (European University Institute)

Abstract

In the digital economy, consumer vulnerability is not simply a vantage point from which to assess some consumers’ lack of ability to activate their awareness of persuasion. Instead, digital vulnerability describes a universal state of defencelessness and susceptibility to (the exploitation of) power imbalances that are the result of the increasing automation of commerce, datafied consumer–seller relations, and the very architecture of digital marketplaces. Digital vulnerability, we argue, is architectural, relational, and data-driven. Based on our concept of digital vulnerability, we demonstrate how and why using digital technology to render consumers vulnerable is the epitome of an unfair digital commercial practice.

Suggested Citation

  • N. Helberger & M. Sax & J. Strycharz & H.-W. Micklitz, 2022. "Choice Architectures in the Digital Economy: Towards a New Understanding of Digital Vulnerability," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 175-200, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jcopol:v:45:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s10603-021-09500-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10603-021-09500-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10603-021-09500-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10603-021-09500-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Burkell, Jacquelyn & Regan, Priscilla M., 2019. "Voter preferences, voter manipulation, voter analytics: policy options for less surveillance and more autonomy," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 8(4), pages 1-24.
    2. Corina CARA, 2019. "Dark Patterns In The Media: A Systematic Review," Network Intelligence Studies, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 14, pages 105-113, December.
    3. Peter Cartwright, 2015. "Understanding and Protecting Vulnerable Financial Consumers," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 119-138, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. M. Brenncke, 2024. "A Theory of Exploitation for Consumer Law: Online Choice Architectures, Dark Patterns, and Autonomy Violations," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 127-164, March.
    2. O. O. Cherednychenko, 2024. "On the Bumpy Road to Responsible Lending in the Digital Marketplace: The New EU Consumer Credit Directive," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 241-270, June.
    3. S. Mills & S. Costa & C. R. Sunstein, 2023. "AI, Behavioural Science, and Consumer Welfare," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 387-400, September.
    4. Chen, Si & Wu, Yajun & Deng, Fengyi & Zhi, Kuiyun, 2023. "How does ad relevance affect consumers' attitudes toward personalized advertisements and social media platforms? The role of information co-ownership, vulnerability, and privacy cynicism," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    5. Chenggang Wang & Danli Du & Tiansen Liu & Xiaohuan Li & Yue Zhu & Wenhui Du & Fan Xu & Mingtong Yan & Junxin Chen, 2024. "Environmental Regulations, Green Technological Innovation, and Green Economy: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-24, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marijn Sax & Natali Helberger & Nadine Bol, 2018. "Health as a Means Towards Profitable Ends: mHealth Apps, User Autonomy, and Unfair Commercial Practices," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 103-134, June.
    2. S. Nessel, 2019. "Consumer Policy in 28 EU Member States: An Empirical Assessment in Four Dimensions," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 455-482, December.
    3. Julia Rötzmeier-Keuper, 2020. "Consumer Vulnerability: Overview And Synthesis Of The Current State Of Knowledge And Future Service-Related Research Directions," Working Papers Dissertations 65, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    4. Louise Overton & Lorna Fox O’Mahony, 2018. "Stakeholder Conceptions of Later-Life Consumer Vulnerability in the Financial Services Industry: Beyond Financial Capability?," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 41(3), pages 273-295, September.
    5. R. Hyde & P. Cartwright, 2023. "Exploring Consumer Detriment in Immersive Gaming Technologies," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 335-361, September.
    6. Shymaa Bedaiwy & Dimity Peter, 2022. "An evaluation of Egyptian microfinance laws and regulations preventing overindebtedness of women," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(7), pages 1318-1333, October.
    7. Dibb, Sally & Merendino, Alessandro & Aslam, Hussan & Appleyard, Lindsey & Brambley, William, 2021. "Whose rationality? Muddling through the messy emotional reality of financial decision-making," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 826-838.
    8. Elizabeth Lyon & J. R. Catlin, 2020. "Consumer Misconceptions about Tax Laws: Results from a Survey in the United States," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 807-828, December.
    9. Thomas Köhne & Christoph Brömmelmeyer, 2018. "The New Insurance Distribution Regulation in the EU—A Critical Assessment from a Legal and Economic Perspective," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 43(4), pages 704-739, October.
    10. Meng, Jie & Layton, Roger & Huang, Yimin, 2016. "Why do some consumers shop in this pharmacy? A cross-check of vulnerable characteristics and store types," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 116-130.
    11. K. Thomas, 2022. "Amending China’s Notion of a “Consumer”: Lessons from Comparative Analysis of the PRC Consumer Protection Law," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 435-456, September.
    12. Eric K. Clemons & Ravi V. Waran & Sebastian Hermes & Maximilian Schreieck & Helmut Krcmar, 2022. "Computing and Social Welfare," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(2), pages 417-436, June.
    13. C. Graham, 2023. "Vulnerability and Essential Services," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 465-482, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jcopol:v:45:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s10603-021-09500-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.