Introduction

This chapter introduces the research field and gives an overview on the book. This work investigates individuals’ attitudes toward privacy amidst state surveillance, starting from the privacy calculus model, which examines the trade-off between privacy and security. The chapter hints towards gaps in existing literature, including the scarcity of cross-national studies and methodological limitations. Through empirical analyses based on large datasets, the book seeks to explore the contextual influences on privacy perceptions, contributing to a nuanced understanding of citizen acceptance of surveillance measures and the subjective value of privacy.