An HCI approach to privacy and security in mobile and ubiquitous applications

Privacy and security decisions are omnipresent in our digital lives, shaping and influencing our interactions across a broad spectrum of mobile and ubiquitous applications. In today’s interconnected world, where personal data flows through numerous digital channels, our privacy and security choices have far-reaching implications. These decisions impact our safety and confidentiality and our trust in digital platforms and services. From managing sensitive information on social media to protecting financial transactions on mobile banking apps, our daily activities are intertwined with navigating and watching our digital identities. As technology advances, the complexity of these decisions grows, necessitating thoughtful consideration and informed choices to maintain control over our privacy and security in an increasingly interconnected and data-driven environment. This dissertation explores the pivotal role of HCI strategies in improving user understanding, engagement, and decision-making in privacy and security tasks within mobile and ubiquitous applications. Through a variety of research methods and approaches, this work shows how techniques such as gamification, visualization, and augmented reality interfaces improve users’ confidence in their ability to manage their privacy and security, enhance their knowledge of these concepts, and empower their overall engagement with privacy and security practices. Findings emphasize that while privacy concerns are critical, bolstering knowledge and self-efficacy through interactive tools is essential for promoting informed and proactive privacy and security behaviors. The conducted studies advocate a paradigm shift towards empowering users with clear, actionable privacy goals and settings supported by intuitive, accessible interfaces. The implications of this work extend to what developers should consider when designing privacy and security mechanisms. By leveraging HCI approaches, developers can empower user ability and comprehension in mobile and ubiquitous environments, which enhances users’ self-efficacy and motivation, enabling them to make informed decisions in digital environments.