Unveiling Users' Security and Privacy Concerns Regarding Smart Home IoT Products from Online Reviews

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized the global market with lifestyle products such as fitness trackers (FT), smart home speakers (SHS), and surveillance and security camera systems (SSCS). While offering convenience, these products also introduce potential security and privacy (S&P) risks to buyers, often going unnoticed. Consumers’ incomplete mental models of the risks involved and the information asymmetry between buyers and sellers only add to the problem. Understanding consumer concerns in online product reviews can play a crucial role in bridging the gap of such information asymmetry. By establishing a balanced flow of information between buyers and sellers, manufacturers can leverage genuine concerns expressed in reviews to enhance product features while educating users about misinformation in reviews. In this study, we collected FT, SHS, and SSCS product reviews from three Amazon domains: the US, the UK, and India. Using a keyword-based search method focused on S&P concerns, we discovered a considerable number of reviews expressing notable concerns regarding security and privacy. Our qualitative analysis revealed that data security is a common concern across all product types. Further, our quantitative analysis exposed significant geographic variations, with the concern ratio being higher in the US than in the UK for all device types and higher than in the Indian domain for security cameras. These findings highlight the need for tailored security measures and user awareness campaigns in different parts of the world to address the identified concerns effectively.