“Don’t Stop Me! I Know What I’m Doing!”: Does Empowerment Contribute to Digital Piracy? A Norm Activation Model Approach

Research into digital piracy has largely drawn on deterrence theories or technology adoption models, emphasizing technological safeguards and stricter controls. However, piracy continues to escalate. This research reconceptualizes digital piracy as a behavioral issue shaped by socio-psychological mechanisms of morality and empowerment. Drawing on the norm activation model and empowerment theory, it investigates user intentions to engage in piracy. A mixed-method research is employed. Study 1 uses a phenomenological qualitative approach to uncover the motivations underlying piracy behavior. Study 2 then validates the proposed framework through partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results reveal that perceptions of empowerment encourage digital piracy. Personal moral norms serve as inhibitors. Time spent on the internet significantly moderates these effects. This research advances the understanding of digital piracy by integrating moral and empowerment perspectives. It also offers practical guidance for addressing the psychological drivers that sustain such behavior.