Transparency or Information Overload? Evaluating Users' Comprehension and Perceptions of the iOS App Privacy Report

—Apple’s App Privacy Report (“privacy report”), released in 2021, aims to inform iOS users about apps’ access to their data and sensors (e.g., contacts, camera) and, unlike other privacy dashboards, what domains are contacted by apps and websites. To evaluate the effectiveness of the privacy report, we conducted semi-structured interviews ( n = 20) to examine users’ reactions to the information, their understanding of relevant privacy implications, and how they might change their behavior to address privacy concerns. Participants easily understood which apps accessed data and sensors at certain times on their phones, and knew how to remove an app’s permissions in case of unexpected access. In contrast, participants had difficulty understanding apps’ and websites’ network activities. They were confused about how and why network activities occurred, overwhelmed by the number of domains their apps contacted, and uncertain about what remedial actions they could take against potential privacy threats. While the privacy report and similar tools can increase transparency by presenting users with details about how their data is handled, we recommend providing more interpretation or aggregation of technical details, such as the purpose of contacting domains, to help users make informed decisions.