Personalization vs. privacy in user experiences : how users experience and reflect on personalized digital content in relation to their sense of privacy

Abstract

This thesis explores how users feel about personalization in digital services and how it affects their sense of privacy. There are a lot of benefits to personalized online experiences with for example more intuitive use of online services and more relevant content. But this often comes at the cost of users making themselves vulnerable by sharing personal data, sometimes even without understanding how and giving informed consent. The aim of the study is to find out how aware users are of personalization practices and if they would be open to trading personalization for better privacy protection. The thesis includes theoretical background and a user survey. The survey showed that while a lot of users do appreciate useful personalization features there is also a strong sense of discomfort when it feels too intrusive or when users are made aware of the extent of data that is being collected. Overall, the results highlight that users do want more ethical practices, clearer information and more control of their own personal data, even being open to trading personalization for better privacy protection.