Smart homes and privacy dissertation help

Hi everyone!

I’m an MA student writing a dissertation on smart homes and privacy. I posted these questions on Reddit and someone directed me here, I hope that’s okay!

Would you be able to help? Feel free to reach out to me privately and give as much or as little information as you’d like. I’d obviously be using this information in my work so can’t guarantee who does or does not see it.

How are smart appliances perceived? (What is on the forefront of your mind when interacting? Do you actively remember it’s a product/form of income for a company? Do you remember your data is being collected) How can consent truly be given when? For example, what happens when your smart doorbell records every face that visits, or your smart speaker captures the whole family and your visitors on a recording? Who do you think is the most trusted smart home device provider and why? What is the most valuable smart home device and why?

What risk does ‘datafying’ children from birth have?

Thank you!

Sounds like an interesting project!

Assuming you are a student at an accredited university in the US/EU, even informal interviews require written “informed consent.”. You risk invalidating your research otherwise.

Your thesis advisor should be able to give you your own school’s forms and principles for this.

Meanwhile, I suggest reading the following excellent article on informal interviews for a thesis:

https://managementhelp.org/businessresearch/interviews.htm

But do check with your thesis advisor, as your own school may have additional specific requirements.

This is all even more important since you are asking questions about children, but it applies in any case when doing academic work.

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oh yes, this will be an interesting paper and could be picked up by multiple media organizations.