Introduction

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between privacy and trust, with emphasis on how citizens' concerns about, and experiences involving, information privacy are related to the level of trust they have in government organizations. In addition to being an important component of social interactions in general, trust, or rather the perception of being trustworthy, is seen as an integral resource for the governments of modern democratic states. From a citizen's perspective, in addition to promoting personal autonomy and dignity, the right to privacy is arguably one of the fundamental tenets of liberal democracy.

Throughout the world, information and communications technologies are changing the way governments operate and interact with citizens, as part of a shift towards what is commonly called 'electronic government.' [According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), e-government involves "the use of information and communication technologies, and particularly the Internet, as a tool to achieve better government" (Retrieved 5 Dec 2005, from: http://webdomino1.oecd.org/COMNET/PUM/egovproweb.nsf/viewHtml/index/$FILE/glossary.htm).] These technologies have also changed, and will continue to change, the way individuals' information is collected, communicated, processed and stored, while a number of factors are making personal information more readily available than ever before.

Additional investigation of the relationship between citizens' perceptions about information privacy and their trust in government should advance our understanding of the roles they play in the operation of modern democratic systems. These issues have global relevance, and this research was conducted in New Zealand, one of many countries facing the challenges associated with increasing citizens' trust in government. [The New Zealand Government's effort to increase citizens' trust is identified in the "Development Goals" of the State Services Commission. Of these six goals, one is "Trusted State Services," with an objective of "Measurable improvement in New Zealanders' trust in the agencies of the State Services" by June of 2010 (4 December 2005, from: http://www.ssc.govt.nz/display/document.asp?docid=4730&pageno=3).]

This study sought to explore a number of research questions, including:

1. What are New Zealanders' concerns about their informational privacy?
1. What influences these concerns?
2. To what extent are people aware of the protections that exist to protect their right to privacy?
3. To what extent are people aware of the available options for recourse if they believe their privacy has been breached?
2. How trustworthy do New Zealanders believe government organizations are in relation to protecting their information privacy?
3. When an individual believes an organization has violated their privacy, does this have an impact on that individual's level of trust in that organization?
1. What is the magnitude of this relationship?
2. What factors influence the magnitude of the impact (if any)?
4. If one government organization breaches an individual's privacy, does this affect the individual's perception of the trustworthiness of only that specific organization, or other government organizations as well?
5. When individuals need to provide personal information to government organizations, in which channel do they have the most confidence that their privacy will be protected.
1. What influences the level of confidence people have?
2. What are New Zealanders' attitudes towards, and concerns about, using the Internet to communicate personal information?

In order to collect data and information from a variety of New Zealanders, three different projects were conducted, each using a different method of data collection to gather input from different populations.

This report explains how the research was conducted and discusses the results of the study. First, a review of the literature relevant to this study is presented to introduce many of the topics involved in this area of research. Then, the methodology that the research team followed is described. Next, the data collected in each of the three projects is put forth in the "Findings" section. Then, a discussion of these findings is presented, focusing on the potential implications of the collective results of the three projects. Finally, a series of recommendations are provided in the conclusion of this report.