Title: Considerations towards the adoption and use of virtual private networks as privacy-enhancing technologies

Abstract: The continuous development and deployment of online technologies that track every user action have heightened privacy concerns among Internet users. As a result, some users have taken proactive actions to safeguard their privacy online by adopting privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs). However, the considerations and barriers that these users encounter in the adoption process remain unclear. This uncertainty raises a question: What factors motivate/hinder people from adopting and use privacy-enhancing technologies, particularly Virtual Private Network applications (VPNs)?  In this talk, I will offer insight into the underlying motivations
("considerations") behind VPNs' use/abandonment as a PET.

Bio: Moses Namara is a Facebook research Fellow on privacy and data use and a Ph.D. Candidate in Human-Centered Computing at Clemson University advised by Dr.Bart Knijnenburg. He uses interdisciplinary research methods from computer science, psychology, and the social sciences to understand the principles behind users' adoption and use of technologies, decision-making, online privacy attitudes, and behaviors. Moses received his B.S. from the University of Maryland and M.S. in Computer Science from Clemson University.

https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/190280621