Abstract

Ubiquitous information systems (UBIS) adapt current Information System thinking to explicitly differentiate technology between hardware devices and software components. An unfolding vision of vast numbers of computing devices becoming a pervasive part of our everyday lives in underway as more routine activities move into the realm of information and communication technology (ICT). Customer loyalty smart card tracking, mobile and smart phone application, wireless MP3 players, intelligent key cards, close circuit television cameras, motion sensors, electronic passports and RFID cards are some of the frequently used ubiquitous devices that handle personal information about their owners and of which a typical average consumer could own more than one of them. This research paper investigates personal privacy issues confronting ubiquitous system users with the aim of constructing a framework that can help designers of such systems to better protect the personal privacy of the users of these systems through the integration of certain design concepts suggested by the framework into their design processes. Ten selected users of ubiquitous devices were interviewed, focusing on issue around the misunderstanding of some personal privacy concepts relating to their ubiquitous devices and locations of use. Interview responses were transcribed into electronic format and analyzed using grounded theory analysis and micro-coding techniques. The grounded theory analysis led to the identification of five concepts: Scope of potential disclosure of information, Scope of actual disclosure of information, Complexity of configuration, Top level control mechanism and integration of existing practices.

Share

COinS