Information voyeurism: social impact of physically large displays on information privacy

ABSTRACT

A common observation when working on physically large displays, such as wall-sized projection, is that a certain amount of information privacy is lost. A common explanation for this loss in privacy is the higher legibility of information presented on large displays. In this paper, we present a novel paradigm for measuring whether or not a user has read certain content. We show that, even with constant visual angles and legibility, visitors are still more likely to glance over a user's shoulder to read information on a large wall-projected display than on a smaller traditional desktop monitor. We assert that, in addition to legibility, there are more subtle social factors that may contribute to the loss of privacy on physically large displays. Implementing hardware and software ideas for mitigating this loss of privacy remains future research.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Screen design (e.g., text, graphics, color)

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Graphical user interfaces (GUI); User-centered design

  J. Computer Applications
  J.4 SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
      Subjects: Psychology; Sociology

General Terms:
Human Factors, Performance

Keywords:
implicit memory, large displays, privacy, social factors