Keeping up appearances: understanding the dimensions of incidental information privacy

ABSTRACT

We conducted a survey of 155 participants to examine privacy concerns relating to the viewing of incidental information (i.e. traces of previous activity unrelated to the task at hand) in web browsers. We have identified several dimensions of privacy for this domain. Results revealed the scope of this problem and how location and device affect web browsing activity and contribute to the types of incidental information that may be visible. We found that there are different privacy comfort levels inherent to the participant and dependent on the context of subsequent viewing of incidental information, including the sensitivity of the content, their relationship to the viewer and the level of control retained over input devices.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.3 Group and Organization Interfaces

Keywords:
collaboration, incidental information, privacy, survey, web browsing