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arXiv · 2601.04399

Convenience vs. Control: A Qualitative Study of Youth Privacy with Smart Voice Assistants

Molly Campbell·Trevor De Clark·Mohamad Sheikho Al Jasem·Sandhya Joshi·Ajay Kumar Shrestha
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Abstract

Smart voice assistants (SVAs) are embedded in the daily lives of youth, yet their privacy controls often remain opaque and difficult to manage. Through five semi-structured focus groups (N=26) with young Canadians (ages 16-24), we investigate how perceived privacy risks (PPR) and benefits (PPBf) intersect with algorithmic transparency and trust (ATT) and privacy self-efficacy (PSE) to shape privacy-protective behaviors (PPB). Our analysis reveals that policy overload, fragmented settings, and unclear data retention undermine self-efficacy and discourage protective actions. Conversely, simple transparency cues were associated with greater confidence without diminishing the utility of hands-free tasks and entertainment. We synthesize these findings into a qualitative model in which transparency friction erodes PSE, which in turn weakens PPB. From this model, we derive actionable design guidance for SVAs, including a unified privacy hub, plain-language "data nutrition" labels, clear retention defaults, and device-conditional micro-tutorials. This work foregrounds youth perspectives and offers a path for SVA governance and design that empowers young digital citizens while preserving convenience.

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Molly Campbell, Trevor De Clark, Mohamad Sheikho Al Jasem, Sandhya Joshi, Ajay Kumar Shrestha. 2026-02-28. Convenience vs. Control: A Qualitative Study of Youth Privacy with Smart Voice Assistants. https://doi.org/10.1109/ccwc67433.2026.11393734

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