Understanding Privacy Concerns about Reporting on Encrypted Messaging Platforms

Researchers

Purpose of the Study

This study aims to understand through interviews how users' privacy concerns might shape their decisions to report unwanted messages on encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Secret Chats on Telegram, Secret Conversations on Facebook Messenger, Signal, etc.

Study Procedures

During the one-hour interview, we will ask participants about their experience in using E2EE platforms as well as their privacy expectations and concerns about user reporting on E2EE platforms via a list of hypothetical harassment scenarios.

Benefits

You may learn more about reporting on encrypted messaging platforms and get an opportunity to inform the design of future reporting mechanisms with your testimonies.

Risks

We foresee extremely minimal risks with this study. While harassment scenarios may include offensive languages, we design intricate study procedures to prevent any unnecessary exposure and harms. We also encourage participants to skip any scenario that they find disturbing.

Protecting Your Information

The interview can be conducted using a video conferencing tool or audio call, or if participants prefer, it can be conducted over email or a messaging platform of their choice. If participants choose video or audio chats, the interview will be recorded but for internal purposes only. We will also keep your identity anonymous.

Compensation

If selected participants are willing to share their email address and name, they will receive a $20 Amazon gift card.

Questions and contact

If you have questions about this research study, please free feel to contact Leijie Wang: leijiew@cs.washington.edu.

Participate in the Study

Start the Recruitment Survey
(Hosted on Google Forms)