Protecting Me How? Understanding the Function of Privacy-Protection Technology Tools
Privacy-protection technology tools help individuals to thwart surveillance and data collection efforts by corporate, government, or other entities. Prior research findings indicate that the average Internet user is highly concerned with privacy and loss of control over the collection and use of their information. However, most users take little action to protect their privacy, either by making behavioral changes or through use of privacy-enhancing tools. In this complex landscape, information professionals play a vital role in conveying technical topics and advising their users and patrons as to what privacy-protection tools to employ. This talk will present the preliminary findings of a research study aimed at understanding information professionals' use and understanding of privacy-protection technology tools, as related to their mental models of how the Internet works. This talk will also provide an opportunity for the code4lib community to provide feedback on and potentially contribute to ongoing research in this area.
