Only a minority rejected risky permissions on their phones
Some 26% rejected at least one privacy permission and 33% at least one security permission. For privacy, people who deliberated more rejected more often.
The key idea
For security permissions, more deliberation went along with more rejections only when the warning explained what could happen.
The study, in plain language
Permission requests interrupt people using a website or app. In two exercises in a mobile browser, the team observed whether people rejected requests related to their privacy or device security.
Only a minority rejected at least one request of each type. For privacy, a greater tendency to think before deciding coincided with more rejections. For security, that tendency alone showed no clear link; a link appeared among those who also saw a warning about consequences.
The same willingness to pause and think had different associations depending on the permission and information accompanying the decision.
What they found
- Only a minority rejected at least one permission that could expose private information.
- For security, thinking more carefully did not by itself go along with more rejections.
- When a warning about consequences was present, more reflective participants rejected more security permissions.
How they studied it
An online study with a survey and two field exercises in a mobile browser. It included 164 people in Israel: 82 in the privacy exercise and 82 in the security exercise. The team observed responses to permission requests and warnings.
What the study cannot show
- A 2016 study with a sample from an Israeli panel, simulated mobile-browser decisions, and few requests; the authors note possible omitted-variable bias and that alternative hypotheses cannot be ruled out.
- That a warning works for every user or permission, that the study measured real infections or attacks, or that its effect generalizes to current phones, browsers, countries, and systems.
The original study
Engaging in cyber hygiene: the role of thoughtful decision-making and informational interventions
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
