Exploring users’ privacy decision making in retail– insights and challenges for HCI research

Abstract Privacy is an area of substantial societal debate and research interest. Increased sharing and processing of personal data enables personalized systems and services, but also entails substantial costs in terms of surveillance and loss of privacy. Retail is a domain where tensions of costs and benefits concerning data sharing is particularly evident and, hence, a domain of high potential interest to HCI research on privacy. We have conducted an exploration of user’ decision-making process when sharing personal data in retail, through semi-structured interviews with 14 participants. The interviews shed light on data sharing habits– identifying convenience-oriented, opportunistic, or risk-oriented approaches– as well as the relevance of privacy calculus and factors skewing their privacy decisions. Participants typically were able to explicate their calculations prior to data sharing, considering relevant negative and positive consequences. At the same time participants also acknowledged cognitive, emotional, social, and contextual factors that could skew their privacy calculus. Key findings from the interviews were validated in a follow-up questionnaire study with 191 participants. Through reflection on the findings relative to the existing body of knowledge, we propose three key future challenges for HCI research on retail, to help users scope, balance, and act on their privacy considerations.