JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Smart home technology (SHT) can be useful for aging in place or health related purposes. However, surveillance researchers have highlighted ethical issues with SHTs, including those pertaining to user privacy, security, and autonomy.

Objective:

As digital technology is most often designed for younger adults, this review summarizes user perceptions of SHTs with users aged 50+ to explore their understandings of privacy, purpose of data collection, risk and safety.

Methods:

Through an integrative review, we explored community-dwelling adults’ (aged 50+) perceptions of SHTs based on research questions under four non-mutually exclusive themes: privacy, purpose of data collection, risk and benefits, and safety. 15 user perception studies on SHT users aged 50+ were included.

Results:

The 15 included studies explored user perception of smart speakers, motion sensors, or home monitoring systems. 13 studies (87%) discussed user privacy concerns regarding data collection and access. Four studies (27%) explored user knowledge of data collection purposes. Seven studies (47%) featured risk-related concerns such as data breaches and third-party misuse, and benefits such as convenience. Nine studies (60%) 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. In conjunction with ethical by-design approaches, we recommend Taylor’s conception of data justice as a regulatory approach that can empower SHT users in their data management goals. This way, regulation and design can enhance safety benefits while diminishing risks to privacy, security, and autonomy.