Security, Privacy, and Data-sharing Trade-offs When Moving to the United States: Insights from a Qualitative Study

Moving to a new country often means that people leave their "known environment" and interact with new entities, often sharing sensitive and personal information. This exposes them to various risks. In this study, we investigate the challenges and concerns related to security, privacy, and data-sharing for people who have recently moved to the United States. Through semi-structured interviews (n=25), we find that most participants feel uncomfortable sharing documents containing their personal and sensitive information for the visa process e.g., their financial information and proof of relationship. Sharing this information makes participants concerned about their safety and privacy and sometimes violates their cultural information-sharing norms. Moving to a new environment, particularly to the US, also makes people vulnerable to fraud, specifically fraudulent online renting posts and scam calls. Those who move also navigate bureaucratic, administrative, and technical challenges that exacerbate their perceived security and privacy concerns. We further find a power imbalance that compels visa applicants to share all required information—to avoid getting their visa rejected—without feeling fully informed about the requirements and safeguards in place. Our study highlights the need for more guidance, transparency, and respect for individuals’ privacy from embassies and for technology designers to better support and protect those moving countries.