Usable, Acceptable, Appropriable: Towards Practicable Privacy

TL;DR

This paper discusses the importance of designing digital privacy solutions that are usable, acceptable, and appropriable for marginalized and vulnerable populations, based on experiences with sex-trafficking survivors in Nepal.

Contribution

It highlights socio-political factors affecting privacy design for marginalized groups and advocates for a broader perspective on practicable privacy beyond traditional technical approaches.

Findings

Limited digital literacy impacts privacy practices.

Stigma influences privacy acceptance and usability.

Context-specific privacy solutions are necessary.

Abstract

A majority of the work on digital privacy and security has focused on users from developed countries who account for only around 20\% of the global population. Moreover, the privacy needs for population that is already marginalized and vulnerable differ from users who have privilege to access a greater social support system. We reflect on our experiences of introducing computers and the Internet to a group of sex-trafficking survivors in Nepal and highlight a few socio-political factors that have influenced the design space around digital privacy. These factors include the population's limited digital and text literacy skills and the fear of stigma against trafficked persons widely prevalent in Nepali society. We underscore the need to widen our perspective by focusing on practicable privacy, that is, privacy practices that are (1) usable, (2) acceptable, and (3) appropriable.