Corporate Data Sharing: A Qualitative Analysis of Factors Influencing Data Sharing and the Impact of Privacy Enhancing Technologies

Abstract

Companies are often reluctant to share data. Reasons for this include data protection issues, legal uncertainties and concerns about inadvertently disclosing trade secrets. Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), such as Secure Multiparty Computation, which make it possible to share data without disclosing it to other parties, could therefore have a significant impact on companies' data sharing decisions. This paper examines the factors that companies consider when deciding to share data and how PETs can influence this process. The study is based on a systematic literature review and 20 expert interviews. The results show two models that depict the decision factors for sharing data - with and without PETs. They show that PETs change the factor of trust in the sharing of data between companies: Part of the interpersonal trust can be replaced by technological trust. However, due to the complexity, low prevalence and limited positive application examples of PETs, interpersonal trust remains central. In addition, the level of effort plays a crucial role in the sharing of data with PETs, as companies often decide against this type of technology due to a lack of time, expertise or convenience, despite the technological advantages. Practical implications include the use of consulting companies as intermediaries to build trust and closer cooperation between PET providers to promote the acceptance of these technologies.