My data, my rules: an experimental study on a user-centric approach to data privacy in the internet of things

Abstract The ubiquity of Internet of Things (IoT) systems has intensified concerns about the uncontrolled collection, processing, and sharing of personal data. Empirical evidence on how user-centric data management models affect privacy-related perceptions in IoT remains limited. This study advances the field by evaluating the Fog of Things and Personal Data Store (FoT-PDS) paradigm, a user-centric paradigm for protecting personal data privacy in the IoT context. In a controlled experiment involving sixty-eight participants interacting with a simulated smart-building ecosystem, we found that FoT-PDS significantly increased users’ perceived data control. Structural Equation Modeling revealed that higher data control significantly enhances transparency and privacy awareness, while privacy awareness directly affects trust and mediates the indirect effect of data control on trust. These results provide empirical support for the FoT-PDS paradigm and clarify the perceptual mechanisms through which user-centric data management can address privacy concerns in IoT. MSC codes Primary: 68M14 Secondary: 68P27; 68M10