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"Watch My Health, Not My Data": Understanding Perceptions, Barriers, Emotional Impact, & Coping Strategies Pertaining to IoT Privacy and Security in Health Monitoring for Older Adults

Suleiman Saka, Sanchari Das

TL;DR

This study investigates how adults aged 65+ perceive and manage privacy and security in IoT health-monitoring devices. Using a two‑phase design (online survey N=22 and semi‑structured interviews N=9), the authors document high device adoption but pervasive concerns about data access, transparency, and protection, along with coping strategies such as reliance on others and selective use. They find that trust and transparent data practices are crucial for adoption, and they propose design and policy interventions—adaptive security, real‑time data sharing notifications, and senior‑friendly certification—to improve usability and protect well‑being. The work highlights the emotional burden of data breaches and argues for privacy‑by‑design and co‑creation with older adults to realize the health benefits of IoT while safeguarding privacy and autonomy.

Abstract

The proliferation of "Internet of Things (IoT)" provides older adults with critical support for "health monitoring" and independent living, yet significant concerns about security and privacy persist. In this paper, we report on these issues through a two-phase user study, including a survey (N = 22) and semi-structured interviews (n = 9) with adults aged 65+. We found that while 81.82% of our participants are aware of security features like "two-factor authentication (2FA)" and encryption, 63.64% express serious concerns about unauthorized access to sensitive health data. Only 13.64% feel confident in existing protections, citing confusion over "data sharing policies" and frustration with "complex security settings" which lead to distrust and anxiety. To cope, our participants adopt various strategies, such as relying on family or professional support and limiting feature usage leading to disengagement. Thus, we recommend "adaptive security mechanisms," simplified interfaces, and real-time transparency notifications to foster trust and ensure "privacy and security by design" in IoT health systems for older adults.

"Watch My Health, Not My Data": Understanding Perceptions, Barriers, Emotional Impact, & Coping Strategies Pertaining to IoT Privacy and Security in Health Monitoring for Older Adults

TL;DR

This study investigates how adults aged 65+ perceive and manage privacy and security in IoT health-monitoring devices. Using a two‑phase design (online survey N=22 and semi‑structured interviews N=9), the authors document high device adoption but pervasive concerns about data access, transparency, and protection, along with coping strategies such as reliance on others and selective use. They find that trust and transparent data practices are crucial for adoption, and they propose design and policy interventions—adaptive security, real‑time data sharing notifications, and senior‑friendly certification—to improve usability and protect well‑being. The work highlights the emotional burden of data breaches and argues for privacy‑by‑design and co‑creation with older adults to realize the health benefits of IoT while safeguarding privacy and autonomy.

Abstract

The proliferation of "Internet of Things (IoT)" provides older adults with critical support for "health monitoring" and independent living, yet significant concerns about security and privacy persist. In this paper, we report on these issues through a two-phase user study, including a survey (N = 22) and semi-structured interviews (n = 9) with adults aged 65+. We found that while 81.82% of our participants are aware of security features like "two-factor authentication (2FA)" and encryption, 63.64% express serious concerns about unauthorized access to sensitive health data. Only 13.64% feel confident in existing protections, citing confusion over "data sharing policies" and frustration with "complex security settings" which lead to distrust and anxiety. To cope, our participants adopt various strategies, such as relying on family or professional support and limiting feature usage leading to disengagement. Thus, we recommend "adaptive security mechanisms," simplified interfaces, and real-time transparency notifications to foster trust and ensure "privacy and security by design" in IoT health systems for older adults.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 43 sections, 2 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Barriers to IoT adoption
  4. Technical Vulnerabilities of IoT Systems
  5. Age-Specific Cybersecurity Challenges
  6. Psychological and Emotional Impacts
  7. Ethical Considerations of Age-Specific Research
  8. Method
  9. Study Design
  10. Pilot Study
  11. Survey Design and Interviews
  12. Ethical Considerations
  13. Analysis Strategies
  14. Result
  15. Survey -- Phase-I
  16. ...and 28 more sections

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: How do you typically utilize your IoT device in your daily life?
  • Figure 2: Please rate the following security and privacy concerns regarding IoTs on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 represents "Not Concerned" and 5 represents "Very Concerned"