Co-Designing a Mobile App for Bystander Privacy Protection in Jordanian Smart Homes: A Step Towards Addressing a Complex Privacy Landscape

The proliferation of smart devices fuels privacy concerns, particularly for bystanders-individuals impacted by smart devices beyond their control. Existing research primarily addresses these concerns in Western contexts, with limited focus on Muslim Arab Middle-Eastern (MAME) regions like Jordan. Additionally, there is a scarcity of proposed interventions or assessments for effectively addressing, communicating, negotiating, and remediating privacy issues in these contexts. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating how a technology probe in the form of a privacy-focused mobile application can serve as an auxiliary tool to support the privacy protection of smart home bystanders in Jordan. We initiated our research by collaboratively designing the app through four focus groups involving 24 stakeholders. Subsequently, we present and qualitatively evaluate the app's potential for privacy protection with a diverse group of 26 representative stakeholders. While the app is generally wellreceived, it encounters challenges rooted in broader contextual norms and practices. Our discussion delves into these challenges, offering recommendations to enhance bystander privacy protection in Jordanian smart homes.