Privacy, Technology, and Aging: A Proposed Framework

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a privacy framework that could inform the development, adoption, and use of home-based ubiquitous technologies for older adults. We began with a five-part privacy framework, derived from the literature, and tested it through a qualitative exploration of older adults' perceptions. Focus-group sessions were conducted with 64 community-dwelling older adults. Transcriptions were analyzed using a grounded-theory approach. Major and minor coding themes were identified, refined, and expanded upon, and transcripts were then coded using these themes. Participants' concerns about privacy were more contextualized than our previously defined framework. Factors that influenced perceptions of privacy were identified as perceived usefulness, the importance of social relationships, data granularity, and the sensitivity of activities. Elders' perceptions of privacy relative to the development, adoption, and use of home-based ubiquitous technologies are highly contextual, individualized, and influenced by psychosocial motivations of later life. Data analysis and gerontological theory informed the expansion of our initial framework into a new framework that considers perceived usefulness, key social relationships, data granularity, and sensitivity of activities as factors relevant to the use of in-home technologies. As elders' naïve mental models lead to a perception of risk that may be less than actual risk, technologies should enable user-centered transparent data control. Transdisciplinary theories of privacy and aging can inform the development of a privacy framework for home-based technologies that can contribute to an optimal life in old age.

Privacy concerns in assisted living technologies

“…In this study we conducted a survey to empirically test the applicability of a four dimensional model of technology adoption proposed by Huber et al [22]. These four determinants can influence the tradeoffs between privacy and technology both individually as well in combination with each other.…”

“…Huber et al introduced a four dimensional model that captures the privacy vs. technology tradeoffs older adults and associated stakeholders may consider [22]. These dimensions are modeled as perceived usefulness, activity sensitivity, data granularity, and data recipient.…”

“…Thus, we will compare the difference in average comfort of information sharing, for example, based on whether the information shared is highly granular or not. Intuitively, based on prior work [22] we posit that when information sharing is perceived to be more useful, the data collected is less granular, the sensitivity of the activity is low, and the recipient is more trusted, individuals would be more comfortable with sharing. Finally, we are also interested in how these four dimensions inform the individual's willingness to pay for technology.…”

“…Thus, Huber et al introduced a four dimensional framework that examines older adults' perceptions of privacy risks [22]. The four dimensions consist of perceived usefulness, activity sensitivity, data granularity and data recipient.…”

A Review of Contemporary Work on the Ethics of Ambient Assisted Living Technologies for People with Dementia

“…Details such as a step-by-step design (Aarts et al, 2007;Burleson et al, 2012;Pulli et al, 2012), or large and coloured buttons (O'Neill, Parente, et al, 2011;Picking et al, 2012), and the overall intuitiveness (Maguire et al, 2011) of a system are preferred if these are helpful for the end-users. The reported difficulties of elderly users of ICT are usually about hardware issues, inconsistent interface, screen size, height mobility, information interpretation or the overall mental (rather complex) model applied (Lorenzen-Huber et al, 2011;Wallace et al, 2010). Hersh et al (2003) would also welcome financial payments for users providing feedback.…”