Unplug, Mute, Avoid: Investigating smart speaker users' privacy protection behaviours in Saudi Homes

TL;DR

This study explores how Saudi smart speaker users employ various privacy protection behaviors influenced by cultural norms, household dynamics, and risk perceptions, providing empirical insights and design implications for culturally sensitive voice interfaces.

Contribution

It offers the first empirical investigation of privacy behaviors among Saudi smart speaker users, extending contextual integrity frameworks and suggesting culturally responsive design strategies.

Findings

Users unplug, mute, or avoid voice interactions to protect privacy.

Household norms and room configurations influence privacy practices.

Cultural context shapes privacy perceptions and behaviors.

Abstract

Smart speakers are increasingly integrated into domestic life worldwide, yet their privacy risks remain underexplored in non-Western cultural contexts. This study investigates how Saudi Arabian users of smart speakers navigate privacy concerns within collectivist, gendered, and often multigenerational households. Using cultural probes followed by semi-structured interviews with 16 participants, we uncover everyday privacy-protective behaviours including unplugging devices, muting microphones, and avoiding voice interactions altogether. These practices are shaped not only by individual risk perceptions but also by household norms, room configurations, and interpersonal dynamics. We contribute empirical insights from an underrepresented region, theoretical extensions to contextual integrity frameworks, and design directions for culturally responsive voice interfaces. This work expands the global conversation on smart speaker privacy and informs more inclusive HCI practices in increasingly diverse smart home environments.