"Research Shows Mobile Phone Users Do Not Understand What Data They Might Be Sharing"
New research from the School of Management at the University of Bath reveals that privacy and security features designed to give consumers greater control over the sharing of their data by smartphone apps are widely misunderstood. For example, 43 percent of participants in the study were unclear or confused about the meaning of app tracking. People often misunderstand the purpose of tracking, believing that it is integral to the app's functionality or will enhance the user experience. Companies use app tracking to deliver targeted advertisements to smartphone users. When iPhone users open an app, a pop-up asks their permission to allow the app company to track their activity across other apps, as introduced by Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework in April 2021. Android users access tracking consent through their phone's settings. If people opt out of tracking, the company cannot track their use of apps and websites on their device, nor can the data be used for targeted advertising or shared with data brokers. The most prevalent misunderstanding was that tracking refers to sharing the device's physical location instead of tracking the use of apps and websites. People believed they had to consent to tracking for food delivery and collection services because they thought their location was essential to the app's functionality. While slightly more than half of participants (51 percent) expressed concerns about privacy or security, including the security of their data after it had been collected, the analysis revealed no association between their concern for privacy in their daily lives and a lower rate of tracking acceptance. This article continues to discuss the study on user motivations behind app tracking transparency decisions.