19 research outputs found
Intelligent Personal Assistants and the Intercultural Negotiations of Dataveillance in Platformed Households
The platformization of households is increasingly possible with the introduction of âintelligent personal assistantsâ (IPAs)
embedded in smart, always-listening speakers and screens, such as Google Home and the Amazon Echo. These devices exemplify
Zuboffâs âsurveillance capitalismâ by commodifying familial and social spaces and funneling data into corporate networks.
However, the motivations driving the development of these platformsâand the dataveillance they affordâvary: Amazon appears
focused on collecting user data to drive personalized sales across its shopping platform, while Google relies on its vast dataveillance
infrastructure to build its AI-driven targeted advertising platform. This paper draws on cross-cultural focus groups regarding IPAs
in the Netherlands and the United States. It reveals how respondents in these two countries articulate divergent ways of negotiating
the dataveillance affordances and privacy concerns of these IPA platforms. These findings suggest the need for a nuanced approach
to combating and limiting the potential harms of these home devices, which may otherwise be seen as equivalents
When Does Data Collection and UseBecome a Matter of Concern? A Cross Cultural Comparison of American and Dutch Peopleâs Privacy Attitudes
When Do Data Collection and Use Become a Matter of Concern?: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of U.S. and Dutch Privacy Attitudes
Around the world, people increasingly generate data through their everyday activities. Much of this also happens unwittingly, thanks to sensors, cameras, and other surveillance tools on the roads, in cities, and in businesses. However, the ways citizens and governments think about privacy vary significantly around the world. In this paper, we explore differences between citizensâ attitudes toward privacy and data collection practices in the U.S. and the Netherlands, an EU member nation. Using a factorial vignette survey methodology, we identify specific contextual factors associated with peopleâs level of concern about how their data is being used. We consider the role that five factors play in this assessment: actors (those using data), data type and amount, reported purpose for data use, and inferences drawn from the data. These indicate nationally bound differences but likewise point to potentially more globally shared concerns