Exploration of User Perspectives around Software and Data-Related Challenges Associated with IoT Repair and Maintenance against Obsolescence: User Study on Software and Data Interactions and Considerations for IoT Repair and Maintenance against Obsol

As the uptake of Internet of Things (IoT) exacerbates, questions around the environmental impacts of its making and maintenance call to be considered with urgency. Here, the inherent unsustainable nature of these devices has rarely been considered., e.g., shorter lifespans, large amounts of data collected, and the obsolescence caused by the software that runs them. This study highlights such instances of pre-mature software obsolescence of domestic IoT devices and understands user expectations on how to tackle them. We used 5 textual scenarios to drive 8 focus group sessions with 34 participants. Findings reveal user perceptions of the role of different IoT repair actors in tackling existing software challenges and the importance of repair for reusing them. Our contribution highlights three key sets of stakeholder (users, manufacturers, and regulators) focused recommendations for IoT design that embodies repairability, while contextualising and highlighting HCI's key role in this emergent space.