Percy Campbell J, Buchan J, Chu CH, Bianchi A, Hoey J, Khan SS. User Perception of Smart Home Surveillance Among Adults Aged 50 Years and Older: Scoping Review.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2024;
12:e48526. [PMID:
38335026 PMCID:
PMC10891486 DOI:
10.2196/48526]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Smart home technology (SHT) can be useful for aging in place or health-related purposes. However, surveillance studies have highlighted ethical issues with SHTs, including user privacy, security, and autonomy.
OBJECTIVE
As digital technology is most often designed for younger adults, this review summarizes perceptions of SHTs among users aged 50 years and older to explore their understanding of privacy, the purpose of data collection, risks and benefits, and safety.
METHODS
Through an integrative review, we explored community-dwelling adults' (aged 50 years and older) perceptions of SHTs based on research questions under 4 nonmutually exclusive themes: privacy, the purpose of data collection, risk and benefits, and safety. We searched 1860 titles and abstracts from Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and IEEE Xplore or IET Electronic Library, resulting in 15 included studies.
RESULTS
The 15 studies explored user perception of smart speakers, motion sensors, or home monitoring systems. A total of 13 (87%) studies discussed user privacy concerns regarding data collection and access. A total of 4 (27%) studies explored user knowledge of data collection purposes, 7 (47%) studies featured risk-related concerns such as data breaches and third-party misuse alongside benefits such as convenience, and 9 (60%) studies reported user enthusiasm about the potential for home safety.
CONCLUSIONS
Due to the growing size of aging populations and advances in technological capabilities, regulators and designers should focus on user concerns by supporting higher levels of agency regarding data collection, use, and disclosure and by bolstering organizational accountability. This way, relevant privacy regulation and SHT design can better support user safety while diminishing potential risks to privacy, security, autonomy, or discriminatory outcomes.
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