Thesis Proposal: Ruogu Kang
When
-
Where
NSH 3305
Description
Incognito Online: Why and How People Hide their Digital Traces
Ruogu Kang
Committee:
Sara Kiesler (Chair, HCII, CMU)
Laura Dabbish (HCII & Heinz, CMU)
Lorrie Cranor (ISR & EPP, CMU)
Alessandro Acquisti (Heinz, CMU)
Document:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ruoguk/papers/Thesis.Proposal_ruoguk.pdf
Summary:
The Internet contains much personal information, and many people are worried about the possible consequences of exposure of this information to others. Some people have actually experienced emotional or tangible damage from exposure of their personal information. My prior work shows that most people who use the Internet sometimes want to hide their identity or their online interactions or content.
The first part of this dissertation explores the motivations and strategies of those who have sought anonymity or who have tried to hide some aspect of their identity, interactions, or content online. People’s reasons for seeking anonymity range widely, from protecting family from unpleasant gossip (a relationship threat) to hiding from hackers or government surveillance (information threats). I have also examined how individual differences in social orientation, past negative experiences, and people’s technical knowledge shape their perceptions of different privacy threats, and how those perceptions motivate different strategies to hide from those threats. According to these studies, technical knowledge and past negative experiences are two major filters determining perceptions and strategies for mitigating privacy threat.
The second part of this dissertation examines how people understand the Internet and how they envision information transmission over the Internet. A think aloud study during which people were asked to draw how information passes over the Internet suggests that nontechnical users lack awareness of the complex structure and important entities in the network, and that technical users tend to be overconfident, leading them to potentially overlook or misplace some privacy threats to their personal information.
My research so far suggests that many people have the desire to hide certain online information but do not have sufficient knowledge or the correct tools to do so. My proposed work will explore how levels of threat (manipulated and measured via the proxy variable: negative online experience), and simple versus complex knowledge of the Internet, influence people’s decisions to seek anonymity or use information-hiding tools. The findings of my dissertation will inform the design of future Internet architecture and applications to help Internet users better protect their information, and will contribute to the body of research in privacy and HCI.