A Multi-Factorial Comparative Analysis of Perceived Privacy Violations Caused by Smart Speakers in Germany and the UK

Smart speakers pose privacy risks to users and bystanders. We do not know how these risks are perceived depending on different factors, such as the potential privacy violators, the nature of the privacy violation, the different user groups, and culture. Understanding these perceptions is crucial to providing adequate privacy solutions and legislation. To this end, 1,768 participants from Germany and the UK answered our online-questionnaire about their perceptions of five different actors’ possibilities, intentions, and legal bases to commit five privacy violations: data access, data inference, overhearing conversations, secondary use, and passing data along. Participants expressed mild concerns about the main user but greater worry about manufacturers and the state. We observe growing concern among younger people, especially in the UK and that users who do not own the smart speaker are the least concerned group. Our approach can be used to better differentiate perceptions of concerns in other contexts.