AIM: This study was designed to compare the privacy consciousness of undergraduate students in Turkey and Japan. METHOD: A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out. First-year undergraduate students at a university in Turkey (n = 235) and a university in Japan (n = 242) voluntarily participated in the study. Data were collected via a web-based structured questionnaire, using the Descriptive Characteristics Form and the Privacy Consciousness Scale, between November and December 2020. Written approval was obtained from the universities and the ethics board. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. RESULTS: The privacy consciousness of the Turkish students was significantly higher than that of the Japanese students (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Privacy consciousness can be affected by individual, social, and cultural value differences, beliefs, and perceptions. It is suggested that similar studies be conducted with a greater number of samples and between different countries.