PEDRO: Privacy-Enhancing Decision suppoRt tOol

Abstract

Citizens face online privacy threats from social media, online service providers and governments. Privacy-enhancing tools (PETs) can prevent privacy invasion, but the uptake of these is limited. We developed a novel conceptual framework for privacy self-protection, consisting of a classification framework of four distinct privacy threats and our own novel staged model of PET adoption requisites. Through an expert survey (N = 12) and a lay user survey (N = 500), we identified suitable PETs for non-expert users and identified potential barriers to PET adoption. Based on the studies and our theoretical framework, we then developed and implemented a PET decision support tool called PEDRO, and conducted expert evaluations (N = 10) to confirm the validity of its recommendations.

Keywords

• privacy-enhancing tool
• technology adoption
• stage model
• PET decision support tool