Examining Caregiving Roles to Differentiate the Effects of Using a Mobile App for Community Oversight for Privacy and Security

TL;DR

This study explores how community oversight via a mobile app impacts privacy and security management, highlighting differences between caregivers and care receivers over a 4-week period.

Contribution

It introduces CO-oPS, a mobile app for community-based privacy oversight, and examines role-based effects on user experience and efficacy.

Findings

Caregivers showed higher trust and collective efficacy than care receivers.

Both groups' self-efficacy increased, especially among care receivers.

Community oversight can enhance privacy management skills across roles.

Abstract

We conducted a 4-week field study with 101 smartphone users who self-organized into 22 small groups of family, friends, and neighbors to use ``CO-oPS,'' a mobile app for co-managing mobile privacy and security. We differentiated between those who provided oversight (i.e., caregivers) and those who did not (i.e., caregivees) to examine differential effects on their experiences and behaviors while using CO-oPS. Caregivers reported higher power use, community trust, belonging, collective efficacy, and self-efficacy than caregivees. Both groups' self-efficacy and collective efficacy for mobile privacy and security increased after using CO-oPS. However, this increase was significantly stronger for caregivees. Our research demonstrates how community-based approaches can benefit people who need additional help managing their digital privacy and security. We provide recommendations to support community-based oversight for managing privacy and security within communities of different roles and skills.