The Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) paradigm proposes that users’ interactions with computers follow the same social psychology principles as their interactions with people. CASA has potential value in guiding privacy design and research, but this has never been explicitly studied. To investigate how CASA may affect users’ privacy attitudes towards computers, smartphones, and digital assistants, we conducted a two-part investigation. First, we surveyed 400 participants. We identify that CASA is relevant in some, but not all, privacy contexts. Next, we interviewed 12 participants using Grounded Theory methods to understand to what extent CASA shaped their privacy attitudes. Overall, our study revealed that CASA by itself is insufficient to explain users’ privacy attitudes. Interpreting our results, we propose the Privacy Triad: users either consider their device to be a social agent , a conduit for outside actors, or a tool over which they have full control. These roles impact users’ privacy attitudes and expectations towards the device. We describe the practical applications of the Privacy Triad for designers. The triad can help designers implement privacy systems and technologies that foster interactions that naturally align with users’ expectations. It can also help designers think through potential risks arising from these interactions (e.g., phishing or inadvertent privacy disclosures).

IoT device disposal involves all of the challenges associated with disposal of non-IoT devices, and introduces the additional challenge of purging sensitive data from the IoT components. These challenges push IoT device owners to make decisions with negative environmental, security, and privacy consequences. This paper investigates the extent to which security and privacy play a role in users’ decisions to retire home IoT devices. Through an online questionnaire administered to 195 users, we seek to understand motivations and behaviours surrounding disposal of IoT devices. We find that security is not a direct motivator for owners to cease using IoT devices of all types; in many cases loss of functionality is a greater motivator to dispose of a device. We argue that a new modular security paradigm can allow both increased security for users and longer lasting devices.

Designers are sometimes accused of using deceptive methods to manipulate users' information privacy decisions through "privacy dark patterns." Through semi-structured interviews, we explore the perceptions of 23 design practitioners towards the implementation of "privacy dark patterns" created by other designers. This paper explores designers' perceived responsibilities toward users' privacy and their interpretations of the reasons behind the design implementation. We found a range of empathetic rationales among our participants toward other designers' intentions. An example theme is Designer Followed the Status Quo, where common and widely used privacy interfaces are normalized a practice that is typically viewed as reasonable. Our participants' interpretations of the design intent influenced their self-reported practices for navigating similar design requests. We propose a set of factors that influence privacy design practices, including following conventions and norms, ensuring legal compliance, reliance on established usability standards, perceived benefits to businesses and consumers, and degrees of privacy harm.