User Perception and Actions Through Risk Analysis Concerning Cookies

TL;DR

This study investigates user perceptions of cookie risks and privacy through surveys and educational interventions, revealing how awareness influences online security behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces a user study combining participatory design and surveys to assess the impact of risk communication on cookie privacy awareness.

Findings

User awareness of cookie risks varies significantly.

Educational content improves user understanding of privacy implications.

Risk communication influences user behavior towards privacy protection.

Abstract

A website browser cookie is a small file created by a web server upon visitation, which is placed in the user's browser directory to enhance the user's experience. However, first and third-party cookies have become a significant threat to users' privacy due to their data collection methods. To understand the users' perception of the risk of cookies and targeted advertisements, we conducted a user study through a control versus experimental group survey. Our goal was to gauge how user knowledge reflected their security and privacy preferences on the internet; thus, for the experimental group, we created a learning website and information videos through participatory design in a workshop with 15 participants. After that, by evaluating the responses of 68 participants through the survey, we analyzed user awareness of cookies, their privacy implications, and how risk communication can impact user behavior.