In this paper, we present PriCheck, a browser extension that provides privacy-relevant information about smart devices (e.g., in an online shop). This information is oftentimes hidden, difficult to access, and, thus, often neglected when buying a new device.With PriCheck, we enable users to make informed purchase decisions.
We conducted an exploratory study using the browser extension in a simplified (mock) online shop for smart devices. Participants chose devices with and without using the extension.
We found that participants (N = 11) appreciated the usability and available information of PriCheck, helping them with informed decisions for privacy-preserving products. We hope our work will stimulate further discussion on how to make privacy information for novel products available, understandable, and easy to access for users.