An Information Privacy Risk Index for mHealth Apps

Abstract

While the mobile application (app) market, including mobile health (mHealth) apps, is flourishing, communication and assessment of information privacy risks of app use has, in contrast, found only cursory attention. Neither research nor practice offers any useful and widely accepted tools facilitating communication and assessment of information privacy risks. We conduct a feasibility study and develop a prototypical instantiation of an information privacy risk index for mHealth apps. The developed information privacy risk index offers more detailed information than privacy seals without suffering from the information overload and inconsistent structure of privacy policies. In addition, the information privacy risk index allows for seamless comparison of information privacy risk factors between apps. Our research adds to the transparency debate in the information privacy domain by illustrating an alternative approach to communication of information privacy risks and investigating a promising approach to enable users to compare information privacy risks between apps.

Keywords: information privacy, risks, mhealth, mobile health, privacy enhancing technologies, usable privacy

JEL Classification: L86