User tolerance of privacy abuse on mobile Internet and the country level of development

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an exploratory study on the awareness of users about privacy abuse when communicating and using the mobile Internet. The study researches the relationships and associations between the level of the telecommunications market development, the wealth of a country, user proficiency, the affordability of mobile technology, the level of user tolerance of state-implemented content censorship, and similar privacy threats. The results and findings were selected from a comprehensive body of data gathered from 10 countries which have a low record of respect for human rights. Most of the selected countries are Asian or African states. Differences between the tolerance levels of the various user communities are discussed in relation to the criteria which define the level of information society development and the user skill levels. For a better understanding of the wider issues a brief introduction explains the capacity of smartphones to protect a user’s privacy and the availability of circumvention tools against state initiated blocking.