"It’s Always About Them Wanting Our Data" - Vulnerable Groups’ Mental Models of and Attitudes Toward Vertical Data Flows

Vertical data flows (e.g., toward companies) are abstract and already difficult to understand for adults with some technical knowledge, exposing them to various privacy risks. Groups who lack relevant experiences or cognitive abilities are even more vulnerable to such risks. To support these users with protecting their privacy online, weneed a better understanding of different vulnerable groups' mental models of and attitudes toward these processes. We conducted a total of nine focus groups with children, seniors, adults with cognitive disabilities (CD), and control groups. Our results highlight similarities between children and adults with CD in that their understanding is limited and relies on observable and tangible processes. Seniors understand more abstract concepts; however, the overarching implications of big data remain untapped. While attitudes of adults with CD and children are influenced by their caregivers, seniors heavily rely on their life experience. We derive implications for vulnerable groups' privacy protection online.