Privacy, Cybersecurity Risks and Public Trust in the Acceptance and Usage of Biometric Authentication : A Case of Tanzania's Voting System

This study explored how privacy concerns, cybersecurity risks, and public trust influence the acceptance and adoption of biometric authentication in Tanzania’s voting systems. The qualitative study employed a two-phase approach: a systematic literature review followed by semi-structured interviews. The aim was to triangulate findings and deepen contextual understanding of voter experiences and expert perspectives. First, a systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved from Scopus, IEEE, Xplore, and Google Scholar databases. For the interviews, purposive sampling was used to select 15 participants: 5 electoral commission officials, 5 cybersecurity professionals, and 5 eligible voters from urban and rural regions. This stratified composition enabled varied insights into technological implementation and its public reception. The findings showed that privacy concerns, cybersecurity risks, and digital literacy significantly undermine public trust and adoption. The systematic literature review of nine studies (n = 9) highlighted that vague data protection laws, opaque institutional practices, and limited cybersecurity infrastructure erode voter confidence, particularly in rural areas with low digital literacy. Semi-structured interviews corroborated these findings, emphasizing fears of surveillance, hacking vulnerabilities, and inadequate civic education. Thematic analysis showed that trust hinges on transparent data governance, robust cybersecurity, and inclusive digital literacy initiatives, with urban-rural disparities exacerbating mistrust. Practical suggestions that were revealed include reforms to Tanzania's data protection laws, more funding for cybersecurity capabilities, and focused digital literacy campaigns to promote inclusive voting. The study concludes that advancing biometric voting requires not only technical safeguards but also public trust built through transparency, legal clarity, and robust civic education.