Somebody is watching me? Analyzing privacy preferences in using visual AAL technology considering human-, technology-, and context-related factors

Changing age structures, increasing demands for care, and personnel shortages require innovative approaches to enable support for older and frail people in their everyday life enhancing their well-being, safety, and independence. Visual Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies represent a promising approach to tackle these challenges by detecting emergency situations, such as falls, abnormal behavior, and helplessness. Beyond this potential and possible advantages, the use of visual AAL technology is closely connected with concerns regarding privacy and data security. So far, privacy perceptions and requirements have neither been specifically nor quantitatively investigated regarding the usage of visual AAL technology. Therefore, this study (N = 139) applied an online survey and aimed at an investigation of (1) potential differences between human and technological invasions of privacy based on affective evaluations and perceived concerns, (2) activities being (not) allowed to be visually recorded in different contexts, and (3) selections of specific visual AAL technologies in different contexts. The results identified significant differences in the affective evaluation of human and technological privacy invasions as well as specifically perceived privacy concerns. Beyond that, the acceptance of visual recordings of activities depends on the context as well as on the sensitivity of the daily activities. The context also impacted the selection of specific visual AAL technology distinctly. The study enabled a first quantification of specific privacy perceptions, concerns, and requirements when visual AAL technology is used. The results are used to derive specific design and communication recommendations to address future users' privacy needs in the conceptualization, development, and design of visual AAL technology.

Automated summary

Changing age structures, increasing demands for care, and personnel shortages require innovative approaches to support older and frail people. Visual Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies are promising in enhancing well-being, safety, and independence. However, concerns regarding privacy and data security are closely connected with the use of visual AAL technology.