The privacy and control paradoxes in the context of smartphone apps

This research examines how various factors, such as the degree of e-privacy concerns and control over data access permissions, can influence a user's intention to install a smartphone app. We conducted two survey-based experiments with 441 participants. In each experiment, we manipulated the degree of control over the number and type of data access permissions granted to different fictional apps. In Study 1, participants were informed about the set of permissions the apps required. In Study 2, participants indicated which individual permissions they were willing to grant to the apps. In both experiments, we assessed the level of e-privacy concerns, perceived app importance, and the intention to install the apps. The results suggest that the type of app plays a central role in determining both the perceived benefit of installing the app and the level of e-privacy concerns. The intention to install an app is more strongly associated with perceived app importance than with e-privacy concerns (especially when app importance is high, and users have explicit control over which specific data access permissions they want to grant). The implications of these results are discussed regarding psychological factors involved in app installation decision-making process and the importance of promoting data protection by design

GDPR in Portugal: Analysis of citizens’ perception about privacy

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Marketing IntelligenceEsta dissertação foi desenvolvida no âmbito da frequência do Mestrado em Gestão de Informação com Especialização em Marketing Intelligence. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a perceção sobre privacidade e o RGPD na população adulta portuguesa e explicar o Paradoxo da Privacidade num caso de estudo sobre a aplicação StayAway Covid. Iniciando com uma Revisão de Literatura dividida em três principais secções: Era da Internet (onde se explora os progressos da Internet até aos dias de hoje), Privacidade dos Dados (do conceito de privacidade à necessidade de regulação) e Regulamento Geral de Proteção de Dados. Para responder às questões da pesquisa, 2 questionários foram preparados e partilhados através das redes sociais. O primeiro visava perceber a perceção dos participantes sobre privacidade e RGPD (n=271). O segundo procurava explicar o paradoxo da privacidade aplicado à adoção da aplicação de Contact Tracing StayAway Covid por utilizadores das redes sociais (n=115). Os resultados mostram que há falta de literacia para a privacidade na amostra estudada e foi encontrado um grupo de ‘Ativistas da Privacidade’ na mesma. Adicionalmente, relativamente ao Paradoxo da Privacidade, podemos concluir que o medo de perder a privacidade pode bloquear a adopção de novas tecnologias.This dissertation was developed on the scope of the Master’s in Information Management with Specialization in Marketing Intelligence. The main objective of this thesis is to analyze the perception of privacy and GDPR on the Portuguese adult population and explain the Privacy Paradox on a case study about the StayAway Covid app. The first section contains a Literature Review, divided into 3 thematic: Era of the Internet (where Internet progress is explored), Data Privacy (from the concept of privacy to the need of regulation), and GDPR. To answer the research questions, 2 questionnaires were prepared and shared through Social Networks. The first one envisions understanding the perception of participants about privacy and GDPR (n=271). The second one tried to explain the Privacy Paradox between social media users (n=115). The results demonstrated that there is a lack of privacy-related literacy in the sample and a ‘Privacy Actives’ group was found. Additionally, and regarding the Privacy Paradox, we can conclude that the fear of losing privacy may block new technology adoption

The role of mobile health technologies in promoting COVID-19 prevention

Background: Researchers have found innovative ways of using mobile health (mHealth) technologies to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, fewer studies have been done to determine their adoption and effectiveness. Objective: This review summarises the published evidence on the effect of mHealth technologies on the adoption of COVID-19 preventive measures, prevention knowledge acquisition and risk perception as well as technology adoption features for COVID-19 prevention. Methods: PubMed, IEEE and Google Scholar databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature from 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2022 for studies that evaluated the effect of mHealth technologies on COVID-19 preventive measures adoption, prevention knowledge acquisition and risk perception. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. All the included studies were checked for quality using the mHealth evidence reporting and assessment (mERA) checklist. Results: The review found out that the utilisation of mHealth interventions such as alert text messages, tracing apps and social media platforms was associated with adherence behaviour such as wearing masks, washing hands and using sanitisers, maintaining social distance and avoiding crowded places. The use of contact tracing was linked to low-risk perception as users considered themselves well informed about their status and less likely to pose transmission risks compared to non-users. Privacy and security issues, message personalisation and frequency, technical issues and trust concerns were identified as technology adoption features that influence the use of mHealth technologies for promoting COVID-19 prevention. Conclusion: Utilisation of mHealth may be a feasible and effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, the small study samples and short study periods prevent generalisation of the findings and calls for larger, longitudinal studies that encompass diverse study settings.Peer Reviewe