I know what you browsed last night! role of creepiness and persuasion knowledge on click intention of online behavioral advertising

The Internet has become an integral part of almost every individual’s life. People look forward to the Internet for almost every possible requirement, whether shopping, business, knowledge, entertainment, social interaction, sports, or anything else. One of the most pertinent aspects of the internet is tracking and recording activities that occur online. This tracking allows advertisers to show ads based on individuals’ online behavior. Online behavioral targeting is termed online behavioral advertising (OBA). Existing studies have identified the predictors of customers' behavioral intentions toward OBA attempts based on perceived costs and perceived benefits. This study examines the moderating effect of consumer awareness on OBA acceptance or rejection. The researchers applied a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach with SPSS AMOS to test the model fit, construct reliability and validity, and proposed research hypotheses with field data gathered with the help of a structured questionnaire. The researchers found OBA relevance and OBA credibility to be the significant factors that affect customer acceptance of OBA. Privacy concerns and creepiness were identified as the factors affecting OBA avoidance. The study also established that subjective persuasion knowledge positively moderates the relationship between OBA relevance and OBA acceptance.