Solid pods : a promising approach to enhance users’ perception of data transparency and control
- Author
- Tim Theys (UGent) , Peter Mechant (UGent) , Mathias Maes (UGent) , August Bourgeus, Jelle Saldien (UGent) and Lieven De Marez (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- The continuing decline of trust in the processing and fair use of personal data has been well documented. A web standard called Solid (SOcial LInked Data) is being developed to halt and mitigate the decline. It puts users in control of their data by enabling them to securely store their data in decentralized personal online data stores (pods). However, little is known about the impact of such pods. Therefore, we measured the effects of the use of a Solid pod on users’ perceived transparency, understanding, control and trust, as well as on usability and behavioural intention. We set up an experiment that compares the perceptions of users about how their data is being processed and stored on a cookies-enabled news recommendation website with a similar Solid-pod-enabled news recommendation website. Although our findings do not provide evidence that this has significantly impacted users’ trust, perceived usability, or intention to use the system, it has been found to significantly impact users’ perceived transparency and control.
- Keywords
- personal data stores, solid, news recommendations, personalisation, personal data, TRUST
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01JRSKZCW1MSNZX7YXEA0VKPQQ
- MLA
- Theys, Tim, et al. “Solid Pods : A Promising Approach to Enhance Users’ Perception of Data Transparency and Control.” INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS, vol. 37, no. 6, 2025, pp. 504–17, doi:10.1093/iwc/iwaf017.
- APA
- Theys, T., Mechant, P., Maes, M., Bourgeus, A., Saldien, J., & De Marez, L. (2025). Solid pods : a promising approach to enhance users’ perception of data transparency and control. INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS, 37(6), 504–517. https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwaf017
- Chicago author-date
- Theys, Tim, Peter Mechant, Mathias Maes, August Bourgeus, Jelle Saldien, and Lieven De Marez. 2025. “Solid Pods : A Promising Approach to Enhance Users’ Perception of Data Transparency and Control.” INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS 37 (6): 504–17. https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwaf017.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Theys, Tim, Peter Mechant, Mathias Maes, August Bourgeus, Jelle Saldien, and Lieven De Marez. 2025. “Solid Pods : A Promising Approach to Enhance Users’ Perception of Data Transparency and Control.” INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS 37 (6): 504–517. doi:10.1093/iwc/iwaf017.
- Vancouver
- 1.Theys T, Mechant P, Maes M, Bourgeus A, Saldien J, De Marez L. Solid pods : a promising approach to enhance users’ perception of data transparency and control. INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS. 2025;37(6):504–17.
- IEEE
- [1]T. Theys, P. Mechant, M. Maes, A. Bourgeus, J. Saldien, and L. De Marez, “Solid pods : a promising approach to enhance users’ perception of data transparency and control,” INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS, vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 504–517, 2025.
@article{01JRSKZCW1MSNZX7YXEA0VKPQQ,
abstract = {{The continuing decline of trust in the processing and fair use of personal data has been well documented. A web standard called Solid (SOcial LInked Data) is being developed to halt and mitigate the decline. It puts users in control of their data by enabling them to securely store their data in decentralized personal online data stores (pods). However, little is known about the impact of such pods. Therefore, we measured the effects of the use of a Solid pod on users’ perceived transparency, understanding, control and trust, as well as on usability and behavioural intention. We set up an experiment that compares the perceptions of users about how their data is being processed and stored on a cookies-enabled news recommendation website with a similar Solid-pod-enabled news recommendation website. Although our findings do not provide evidence that this has significantly impacted users’ trust, perceived usability, or intention to use the system, it has been found to significantly impact users’ perceived transparency and control.}},
author = {{Theys, Tim and Mechant, Peter and Maes, Mathias and Bourgeus, August and Saldien, Jelle and De Marez, Lieven}},
issn = {{0953-5438}},
journal = {{INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS}},
keywords = {{personal data stores,solid,news recommendations,personalisation,personal data,TRUST}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
pages = {{504--517}},
title = {{Solid pods : a promising approach to enhance users’ perception of data transparency and control}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwaf017}},
volume = {{37}},
year = {{2025}},
}
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