“I Need It Now”: Improving Website Usability by Contextualizing Privacy Policies

Abstract

Abstract. Internet privacy policies are complex and difficult to use. In the eyes of end-users, website policies appear to be monolithic blocks of poorly structured texts that are difficult to parse when attempting to retrieve specific information. In an increasingly privacy-aware society, end-users must be able to easily access privacy policies while navigating a website's pages and readily understand the relevant parts of the policy. We propose a structured methodology to improve web design and increase user's privacy awareness. This systematic approach allows policy makers to effectively and efficiently reshape their current policies by structuring policies according to the subject that is relevant to specific user interaction contexts, making them more usercentered and user-friendly. The methodology is built upon prior work in privacy policy analysis and navigation context design.

Click here to consent forever: Expiry dates for informed consent

“…McDonald and Cranor (2008: 560) have estimated that if data subjects would actually read all the privacy policies presented to them, it would take them 244 hours annually. There is a lot of research indicating that people do not read privacy policies (Arcand et al, 2007;Beldad, 2011;Bolchini et al, 2004;Graf et al, 2010;Jensen and Potts, 2004;Lichtenstein et al, 2003;Milne and Culnan, 2004;Pan and Zinkhan, 2006;Sheehan, 2005).…”

Trust and information privacy concerns in electronic government

“…The legalistic nature (Bolchini et al, 2004;Milne & Culnan, 2004;Pan & Zinkhan, 2006) and the length of privacy statements (Bolchini et al, 2004;Milne & Culnan, 2004;, making them incomprehensible and difficult to read (Milne & Culnan, 2004), are also cited as primary reasons for users' reluctance to read the aforementioned online documents. Users also do not bother to read privacy statements on organizational websites when they have prior positive experience with the organizations behind the sites (Milne & Culnan, 2004) and when they trust those organizations .…”

Examining a Norwegian Client’s Response over Information Security and Privacy Policy

“…Different websites use different ways for structuring the information in their policies. Many service operators claim that their security statement first explains what particular information they are collecting and then how they will use those details [13]. Other service operators tells where on the website they would collect personal information, and then explain what they will do to protect this information [13].…”

“…Many service operators claim that their security statement first explains what particular information they are collecting and then how they will use those details [13]. Other service operators tells where on the website they would collect personal information, and then explain what they will do to protect this information [13]. Some service operators post on their website F.A.Q (Frequently Asked Questions) format focusing on answering the most common questions that mostly asked by the users regarding their privacy [13].…”

“…Other service operators tells where on the website they would collect personal information, and then explain what they will do to protect this information [13]. Some service operators post on their website F.A.Q (Frequently Asked Questions) format focusing on answering the most common questions that mostly asked by the users regarding their privacy [13]. There is no particular standardization adopted across the organizations / companies for comparison [12].…”