Privacy in the Age of Neurotechnology: Investigating Public Attitudes towards Brain Data Collection and Use

Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are expanding beyond the medical realm into entertainment, wellness, and marketing. However, as consumer neurotechnology becomes more popular, privacy concerns arise due to the sensitive nature of brainwave data and its potential commodification. Attacks on privacy have been demonstrated and AI advancements in brain-to-speech and brain-to-image decoding pose a new unique set of risks. In this space, we contribute with the first user study (n=287) to understand people's neuroprivacy expectations and awareness of neurotechnology implications. Our analysis shows that, while users are interested in the technology, privacy is a critical issue for acceptability. The results underscore the importance of consent and the need for implementing effective transparency about neurodata sharing. Our insights provide a ground to analyse the gap in current privacy protection mechanisms, adding to the debate on how to design privacy-respecting neurotechnology. CCS CONCEPTS • Security and privacy → Usability in security and privacy; Social aspects of security and privacy; Human and societal aspects of security and privacy.