Technology and Power: Examining Imbalances Through Usable Security & Privacy Research

Abstract

Technology is often framed as a neutral tool, but in practice, it amplifies existing power imbalances, particularly when imposed by institutions rather than chosen by those most affected. This dissertation explores how surveillance, coercion, deceptive design, and informational asymmetry shape the experiences of individuals subject to technology they either did not choose or were unaware could harm them. Using methods from usable security and privacy research, I analyze case studies across the U.S. criminal legal system, the U.S. immigration system, deceptive design, and the modified Android app ecosystem to understand how design choices and data practices disproportionately harm those with the least power to resist them. These four case studies---which describe how technology exacerbates an existing power imbalance or generates a new one---fall within three categories of power imbalances: users and government entities, users and corporations, and users and other users. While these case studies showcase the impact of technology across differing contexts with difference consequences for users (e.g., incarceration, deportation, privacy harm, increased susceptibility to deception), they all highlight the unique ways that each technology affects power imbalances and how my work contributes to understanding them. This dissertation ends with reflections on the broader implications of these imbalances, lessons learned, and potential strategies for mitigating harm in future technological development.