The Dark Side of Data-Driven Marketing: Consent Fatigue, Privacy Concerns, and Consumer Resistance in Personalized Advertising

Abstract

A well-prepared abstract allows readers to quickly and accurately identify the basic content of a  This study examined the unintended consequences of data-driven marketing, particularly focusing on consent fatigue, privacy concerns, and consumer resistance in personalized advertising. The research addressed the growing paradox wherein increasing personalization, enabled by extensive data collection, undermined consumer trust and engagement. The primary objective was to investigate how repeated consent requests and perceived privacy intrusions influenced consumers’ psychological responses and behavioral intentions. A quantitative approach was employed, using survey data collected from 320 digital consumers, which were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that excessive exposure to consent mechanisms led to cognitive overload and diminished perceived autonomy, thereby intensifying privacy concerns. These concerns significantly triggered resistance behaviors, including advertisement avoidance and reduced purchase intention. The study concluded that while personalization enhanced relevance, its overuse generated adverse outcomes that weakened consumer trust. The results underscored the need for ethically balanced data practices and more user-centric consent designs to sustain long-term engagement in digital marketing environments.

Keywords: consent fatigue; privacy concerns; consumer resistance; personalized advertising