Data Linkages and Privacy Regulation

We assess the efficacy of privacy regulation when consumers are privacy conscious. We develop a model of data linkages where a consumer interacts sequentially with two firms: one firm collects data on consumer behavior, and the other firm leverages the data to set a quality level and a price. A data linkage benefits the consumer in equilibrium when the recipient firm is sufficiently similar to the collecting firm. We endogenize linkage formation under several existing privacy regulations. Voluntary con- sent requirements benefit consumers in equilibrium but blanket bans on discriminatory price and quality offers harm them.