Balancing Privacy and Data Utilization: A Comparative Vignette Study on User Acceptance of Data Trustees in Germany and the US

In times of big data, connected devices, and increasing self-measurement, protecting consumer privacy remains a challenge despite ongoing technological and legislative efforts. Data trustees present a promising solution, aiming to balance data utilization with privacy concerns by facilitating secure data sharing and ensuring individual control. However, successful implementation hinges on user acceptance and trust. We conducted a large-scale, vignette-based, census-representative online study examining factors influencing the acceptance of data trustees for medical, automotive, IoT, and online data. With n = 714 participants from Germany and n = 1036 from the US, our study reveals varied willingness to use data trustees across both countries, with notable skepticism and outright rejection from a significant portion of users. We also identified significant domainspecific differences, including the influence of user anonymity, perceived personal and societal benefits, and the recipients of the data. Contrary to common beliefs, organizational and regulatory decisions such as the storage location, the operator, and supervision appeared less relevant to users' decisions. In conclusion, while there exists a potential user base for data trustees, achieving widespread acceptance will require explicit and targeted implementation strategies tailored to address diverse user expectations. Our findings underscore the importance of understanding these nuances for effectively deploying data trustee frameworks that meet both regulatory requirements and user preferences while upholding highest security and privacy standards.

Unfortunately, in the past, privacy-related legislative developments, although well-intentioned, have repeatedly failed to achieve their intended goals, often putting more burden on users than providing benefits [18], [70]. Increasingly complex data processing procedures, long and complex data protection agreements, and the abundance of requests for consent are only