Data Privacy and Business Performance of E-commerce Industry: Towards Cybersecurity through Transparency and Control

Authors

  • Priya Sukrirthanandan Faculty of Business Technology, University of Cyberjaya, Malaysia
  • Salman Sarwar Faculty of Business, Salar International University, Pakistan
  • Sana Ashraf Faculty of Business & Finance, Lahore Leads University, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61455/sicopus.v4i01.445

Keywords:

data privacy, transparency, business performance, cybersecurity, digital resilience

Abstract

Objective: A crucial element of the modern digital ecosystem is data privacy. A comparable viewpoint is seen in the realm of e-commerce, which has emerged as the primary economic engine on a global scale. The growth in the consumer base and the sheer quantity of data being transferred within the e-commerce platforms constitute a serious risk. In compliance with international regulations, e-commerce platforms are implementing data privacy rules that include transparent and control-centric processes. Theoretical framework: The current study explored how Malaysian e-commerce enterprises' commercial performance is fueled by data privacy rules' control and transparency components. A two-pronged approach was taken in conducting the research using qualitative and quantitative methodology. Literature review: First, the transparency and control features of the data privacy policies of a chosen group of e-commerce enterprises were qualitatively benchmarked. The findings indicated that while Carousell, Ezbuy, and Mudah are some of the e-commerce companies with low levels of transparency and control practices, Methods: Lazada and Shopee have the highest levels of transparency and control practices within their data privacy policies. Subsequently, the analysis was further triangulated with a quantitative analysis from 379 respondents. The data processing and results indicate the increased transparency & control of data privacy policy practices for business performance of e-commerce companies. It includes the internal, performance, and practice benchmarking for e-commerce platforms operating in Malaysia. Results: There is specific stress on the transparency and control sections of data privacy for each of the e-commerce platforms operating in Malaysia. Implications: This research recommends the transparent and controlled review of the data privacy policies on the e-commerce platforms for effective communication, privacy, and behavioral business decisions. Novelty: the study will help setting corporate digital business to ensure cybersecurity and trust of the customer in Malaysia. The serious concern of customer digital information is aptly and rightly channeled to make further customer satisfied. The study output will help policy makers to enhance business with the trust of the customer for the obtained information.

References

E. Buçaj and K. Idrizaj, “The need for cybercrime regulation on a global scale by the international law and cyber convention,” Multidiscip. Rev., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 2025024–2025024, 2025, https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2025024.

A. R. Hidayat, “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Real-Time Production Optimization in Smart Manufacturing Systems,” J. Prod. Manag. Optim., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 34–42, 2025, [Online]. Available: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Qudus%2C+2025&btnG=

T. M. Choi, S. Kumar, X. Yue, and H. L. Chan, “Disruptive Technologies and Operations Management in the Industry 4.0 Era and Beyond,” Prod. Oper. Manag., vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 9–31, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.13622.

H. Guo et al., “A highly sensitive, self-powered triboelectric auditory sensor for social robotics and hearing AIDS,” Sci. Robot., vol. 3, no. 20, p. 2516, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIROBOTICS.AAT2516.

Y. Malakar, L. J. M. Peeters, A. Walton, and D. O’Sullivan, “A causal network approach using a community well-being framework for an initial impact assessment of large-scale energy infrastructure projects,” Environ. Impact Assess. Rev., vol. 102, p. 107188, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2023.107188.

V. Bentotahewa, C. Hewage, and J. Williams, “Solutions to Big Data Privacy and Security Challenges Associated With COVID-19 Surveillance Systems,” Front. Big Data, vol. 4, p. 645204, 2021, https://doi.org/10.3389/fdata.2021.645204.

H. Habib et al., “Away from prying eyes: Analyzing usage and understanding of private browsing,” in Proceedings of the 14th Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security, SOUPS 2018, 2018, pp. 159–175. [Online]. Available: https://www.usenix.org/conference/soups2018/presentation/habib-prying

L. J. Bowman, “Statista,” J. Bus. Financ. Librarianship, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 304–309, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1080/08963568.2022.2087018.

M. Kangwa, C. S. Lubobya, and J. Phiri, “Protection of personally identifiable Information and Privacy via the use of Hardware and Software,” Lect. Notes Eng. Comput. Sci., vol. 2243, no, pp. 75–81, 2021.

O. N. Whitney et al., “Sewage, Salt, Silica, and SARS-CoV-2 (4S): An Economical Kit-Free Method for Direct Capture of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from Wastewater,” Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 55, no. 8, pp. 4880–4888, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c08129.

M. J. Metzger, “Making sense of credibility on the web: Models for evaluating online information and recommendations for future research,” J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci. Technol., vol. 58, no. 13, pp. 2078–2091, 2007, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20672.

A. F. Westin, “Special report: Legal safeguards to ensure privacy in a computer society,” Commun. ACM, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 533–537, 1967, https://doi.org/10.1145/363566.363579.

S. Petronio, “Communication Privacy Management Theory: What Do We Know About Family Privacy Regulation?” J. Fam. Theory Rev., vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 175–196, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-2589.2010.00052.x.

V. Varlina, D. W. Junaidy, L. Mawali, Y. A. Piliang, and A. Matsumae, “Effects of decreased visual–auditory multisensory stimuli on creativity: a conceptual network analysis,” Des. Sci., vol. 11, p. 42, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1017/dsj.2025.10035.

G. D. Traviss-Turner, R. M. West, and A. J. Hill, “Guided Self-help for Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Metaregression,” Eur. Eat. Disord. Rev., vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 148–164, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2507.

S. W. Littlejohn and K. A. Foss, “Theories of Human Communication,” vol. 10: 25. Query date, p. 36, 2008. [Online]. Available: http://books.google.com/books?hl=id&lr=&id=r3Fk0aRpJM4C&pgis=1

L. T. Lee, “Privacy and social media,” The Social Media Industries. pp. 146–165, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203121054.

S. Petronio and J. Reierson, “Regulating the privacy of confidentiality: Grasping the complexities through communication privacy management theory,” in Uncertainty, Information Management, and Disclosure Decisions: Theories and Applications, 2015, pp. 365–383. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203933046-25/regulating-privacy-confidentiality-sandra-petronio-jennifer-reierson

W. Chiu and H. Cho, “E-commerce brand: The effect of perceived brand leadership on consumers’ satisfaction and repurchase intention on e-commerce websites,” Asia Pacific J. Mark. Logist., vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 1339–1362, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-10-2018-0403.

C. Jane Hollowell, Z. Rowland, T. Kliestik, J. Kliestikova, and V. V. Dengov, “Customer loyalty in the sharing economy platforms: How digital personal reputation and feedback systems facilitate interaction and trust between strangers,” J. Self-Governance Manag. Econ., vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 13–18, 2019, https://doi.org/10.22381/JSME7120192.

R. Tuyls and A. Pera, “Innovative data-driven smart urban ecosystems: Environmental sustainability, governance networks, and the cognitive internet of things,” Geopolit. Hist. Int. Relations, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 116–121, 2019, https://doi.org/10.22381/GHIR11120198.

L. R. Waitman et al., “Enhancing PCORnet Clinical Research Network data completeness by integrating multistate insurance claims with electronic health records in a cloud environment aligned with CMS security and privacy requirements,” J. Am. Med. Informatics Assoc., vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 660–670, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocab269.

K. L. Brown-Jackson, “Grasping Cybersecurity Leadership as It Relates to Critical Infrastructure Protection,” Int. J. Smart Educ. Urban Soc., vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1–14, 2022, https://doi.org/10.4018/ijseus.312233.

K. Ristovska and C. M. Bande, “Machine learning vs. data mining: Understanding the differences and intersections,” Int. J. Sci. Res. Publ., vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 130–136, 2025, https://doi.org/10.29322/ijsrp.15.01.2025.p15718.

DIGITAL ART, “The Evolution and Impact of Pop Art in the Digital Age,” Home Art Haven, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 834–839, [Online]. Available: https://homearthaven.com/blogs/news/the-evolution-and-impact-of-pop-art-in-the-digital-age

I. Susilowati, “Legal Perspectives on Data Privacy and Cybersecurity in the Digital Age,” Int. J. Soc. Rev., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 471–481, 2025, [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Muh-Fauzan-Nastiar/publication/389499994_LEGAL_PERSPECTIVES_ON_DATA_PRIVACY_AND_CYBERSECURITY_IN_THE_DIGITAL_AGE/links/67c4d7ac645ef274a499399f/LEGAL-PERSPECTIVES-ON-DATA-PRIVACY-AND-CYBERSECURITY-IN-THE-DIGITAL-AGE.pdf

T. W. Sanchez, M. Brenman, and X. Ye, “The Ethical Concerns of Artificial Intelligence in Urban Planning,” J. Am. Plan. Assoc., vol. 91, no. 2, pp. 294–307, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2024.2355305.

R. Kipyegon, “Information System Audit Strategies and Data Security Measures Among Commercial Banks in Kenya.” 2023. [Online]. Available: https://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/167645

E. F. Zineb, R. Najat, and A. Jaafar, “An Intelligent Approach for Data Analysis and Decision Making in Big Data: A Case Study on E-commerce Industry,” Int. J. Adv. Comput. Sci. Appl., vol. 12, no. 7, pp. 723–736, 2021, https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2021.0120783.

M. Borgstede and M. Scholz, “Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches to Generalization and Replication–A Representationalist View,” Front. Psychol., vol. 12, p. 605191, 2021, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.605191.

Creswell J, “Revisiting mixed methods and advancing scientific practices,” The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry. pp. 61–71, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199933624.013.39

C. Grant and A. Osanloo, “Understanding, Selecting, and Integrating a Theoretical Framework in Dissertation Research: Creating the Blueprint for Your ‘House,’” Adm. Issues J. Educ. Pract. Res., vol. 4, no. 2, p. 4, 2014, https://doi.org/10.5929/2014.4.2.9.

R. A. Swanson and T. J. Chermack, Theory Building in Applied Disciplines, vol. 5, no. 1. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1108/jchrm-06-2013-0023.

H. Kang, “Sample size determination and power analysis using the G*Power software,” J. Educ. Eval. Health Prof., vol. 18, 2021, https://doi.org/10.3352/JEEHP.2021.18.17.

H. Taherdoost, “Sampling Methods in Research Methodology: How to Choose a Sampling Technique for Research,” SSRN Electron. J., 2018, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205035.

I. Etikan, “Comparison of Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling,” Am. J. Theor. Appl. Stat., vol. 5, no. 1, p. 1, 2016, https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11.

H. S. Nawwal, “Magnetic Nanostructures.” American Scientific Publishers, Los Angeles, 2023.

M. E. McCombs and P. M. Poindexter, “Research in mass communication: A practical guide.” p. 451, 1999. [Online]. Available: https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1971149384865081871

Muthoifin and P. Putri, “Social Level Parameters of Banjar Society in the Tradition of Jujuran Islamic Law Perspective,” Proc. Int. Conf. Eng. Technol. Soc. Sci. (ICONETOS 2020), vol. 529, no. Iconetos 2020, pp. 87–90, 2021, https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210421.014.

R. Crawford, “Information technology in secondary schools and its impact on training information technology teachers,” J. Inf. Technol. Teach. Educ., vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 183–198, 2000, https://doi.org/10.1080/14759390000200082.

A. MacPhail, M. Ulvik, A. Guberman, G. Czerniawski, H. Oolbekkink-Marchand, and Y. Bain, “The professional development of higher education-based teacher educators: needs and realities,” Prof. Dev. Educ., vol. 45, no. 5, pp. 848–861, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2018.1529610.

T. Van Waeyenberg, R. Peccei, and A. Decramer, “Performance management and teacher performance: the role of affective organizational commitment and exhaustion,” Int. J. Hum. Resour. Manag., vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 623–646, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2020.1754881.

H. V Jansen, N. R. Tas, and J. W. Berenschot, “Encyclopedia of nanoscience and society,” Choice Reviews Online, vol. 48, no. 07. American Scientific Publishers, Los Angeles, pp. 48-3608-48–3608, 2011. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.48-3608.

Downloads

Published

2025-12-25

How to Cite

Priya Sukrirthanandan, Sarwar, S., & Sana Ashraf. (2025). Data Privacy and Business Performance of E-commerce Industry: Towards Cybersecurity through Transparency and Control. Solo International Collaboration and Publication of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(01), 347–360. https://doi.org/10.61455/sicopus.v4i01.445

Citation Check