Why Johnny can't opt out: a usability evaluation of tools to limit online behavioral advertising

Authors:
Pedro Leon;Blase Ur;Richard Shay;Yang Wang;Rebecca Balebako;Lorrie Cranor
Affiliations:
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States;Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA;Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States;Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States;Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States;Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Venue:
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Year:
2012

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Abstract

We present results of a 45-participant laboratory study investigating the usability of nine tools to limit online behavioral advertising (OBA). We interviewed participants about OBA and recorded their behavior and attitudes as they configured and used a privacy tool, such as a browser plugin that blocks requests to specific URLs, a tool that sets browser cookies indicating a user's preference to opt out of OBA, or the privacy settings built into a web browser. We found serious usability flaws in all tools we tested. Participants found many tools difficult to configure, and tools' default settings were often minimally protective. Ineffective communication, confusing interfaces, and a lack of feedback led many participants to conclude that a tool was blocking OBA when they had not properly configured it to do so. Without being familiar with many advertising companies and tracking technologies, it was difficult for participants to use the tools effectively.