Skip, Skip, Skip, Accept!!!: A Study on the Usability of Smartphone Manufacturer Provided Default Features and User Privacy

Abstract

Smartphone manufacturer provided default features (e.g., default location services, iCloud, Google Assistant, ad tracking) enhance the usability and extend the functionality of these devices. Prior studies have highlighted smartphone vulnerabilities and how users’ data can be harvested without their knowledge. However, little is known about manufacturer provided default features in this regard—their usability concerning configuring them during usage, and how users perceive them with regards to privacy. To bridge this gap, we conducted a task-based study with 27 Android and iOS smart-phone users in order to learn about their perceptions, concerns and practices, and to understand the usability of these features with regards to privacy. We explored the following: users’ awareness of these features, why and when do they change the settings of these features, the challenges they face while configuring these features, and finally the mitigation strategies they adopt. Our findings reveal that users of both platforms have limited awareness of these features and their privacy implications. Awareness of these features does not imply that a user can easily locate and adjust them when needed. Furthermore, users attribute their failure to configure default features to hidden controls and insufficient knowledge on how to configure them. To cope with difficulties of finding controls, users employ various coping strategies, some of which are platform specific but most often applicable to both platforms. However, some of these coping strategies leave users vulnerable.

GDPR Compliance Assessment for Cross-Border Personal Data Transfers in Android Apps

“…On the other hand, although the AAID is supposed to be a non-persistent identifier since it can be reset through the system settings, there are two main reasons for also considering it, in practice, as potentially persistent. First, data subjects are prone to preserving default privacy settings [47], especially when such settings are hard to discover and understand (the option to reset the AAID is 6 steps deep) [48]. Second, a recent related work [40] found that 74.7% of recipients who receive AAIDs also receive other persistent identifiers, nullifying the nonpersistence property and also allowing a data subject to be tracked over time and across resets.…”

“…"It is our intention to transfer certain information to third parties in order to better help your experiences with our product. However, we shall at all times be in full compliance with provisions [45][46][47][48][49]…”

Usability Barriers for Elderly Users in Smartphone App Usage: An Analytical Hierarchical Process-Based Prioritization

“…BA15 (complex interface and function) was discussed in 23% of the primary studies. In [LT41], an empirical study revealed that complex interface is complicated for elderly users because of their disabilities; therefore, the interface should be easy to use for elderly people and if possible help tooltips should be provided [33].…”

Choice and Control: An Analysis of Privacy Values and Privacy Controls

“…First, research on the role of default settings indicates the ability of defaults to influence human behavior, both in the analog and digital world (Bradshaw & DeNardis, 2019;Shah & Kesan, 2008;Shah & Sandvig, 2008;Soh, 2019;Willis, 2013;Zuiderveen Borgesuis, 2015). Second, research shows that most users do not change the default settings (Dinner et al, 2011;Ramokapane et al, 2019;Shah & Sandvig, 2008;Sunstein, 2013;Svirsky, 2019;Watson et al, 2015). These points together suggest that there is incredible and intrinsic, though hidden, power in technology settings, including those set by social media companies.…”