Post-mortem data privacy: Understanding individual perspectives, behaviours and expectations in context to support appropriate data interactions

<i>In recent years, digital technologies have driven the rise of data as an important and lucrative commodity. Simultaneously, they have transformed the nature of ownership, with digital forms of documents, media and currencies developing new and different properties to their traditional counterparts. As issues of data privacy and misuse come to the forefront of public awareness, there remains a lack of clarity about the appropriate access and usage of personal data after the death of the data subject, nor how to resolve issues of inheritance, remembrance and duty without engaging in intrusive, uncomfortable or contentious behaviours. This thesis explores post-mortem data privacy values as understood and experienced by others, aiming to contribute to the design of legacy functionalities that support the simple expression and execution of intent regarding the future of one’s personal data and information after death. I report on mixed-methods research exploring the contextuality of positions on post-mortem data access, the individuality of views and experiences that contribute to those positions, and some of the existing barriers to engaging practically with digital legacy planning.</i><i>My research contributes to understandings of digital legacy in Human-Computer Interaction by providing quantitative evidence of the interactions between different contextual variables on post-mortem data access appropriateness, alongside in-depth qualitative analysis of perspectives and the illumination of lived experiences. In the terms of Contextual Integrity privacy theory, I present the death of the data subject as having a transformative effect on the contextual elements that make up any given flow of data, arguing that evaluations of post-mortem data access appropriateness depend on individual, subjective and relational factors that resist the formation of broader social norms. I offer a number of design challenges and recommendations for information systems that focus on improved means of collaboration, negotiation and communication between different stakeholders in an individual’s death.</i>

近年来，数字技术推动数据成为一种重要且利润丰厚的商品。与此同时，它们也重塑了所有权的本质——数字形态的文档、媒体与货币，相较于其传统对应形式，具备了全新且迥异的属性。随着数据隐私与滥用问题逐渐成为公众关注的焦点，人们仍不清楚数据主体离世后个人数据的合理获取与使用方式，也不知该如何在不采取侵入性、令人不适或引发争议的行为的前提下，解决遗产继承、纪念与责任相关的问题。本论文探讨他人所理解与亲历的死后数据隐私价值，旨在为遗产功能设计提供参考，以支持人们便捷地表达并执行其身后个人数据与信息的处置意愿。本研究采用混合研究方法，探究死后数据获取立场的情境性、塑造这些立场的观点与体验的个体差异性，以及当前实际开展数字遗产规划所面临的部分现有障碍。

本研究通过量化分析不同情境变量对死后数据获取合理性的交互影响，结合对各类观点的深度质性分析与切身经历的阐释，为人机交互（Human-Computer Interaction）领域的数字遗产研究提供了新的认知维度。基于情境完整性（Contextual Integrity）隐私理论，本文提出数据主体的离世会对构成任一特定数据流动的情境要素产生变革性影响，并主张死后数据获取合理性的评估，取决于个体层面的主观因素与关系因素，这一特性阻碍了宽泛社会规范的形成。本文针对信息系统提出若干设计挑战与优化建议，聚焦于完善个体离世后不同利益相关者之间的协作、协商与沟通机制。