14 Understanding Real-World Privacy Choices by Scraping Permission and Notification Settings on Mobile Phones

Faculty Mentor: Sameer Patil (School of Computing, University of Utah)

In today’s technology-driven world, cybersecurity has emerged as a complex and pressing challenge. With technology deeply integrated into every aspect of our lives, safeguarding digital assets and preserving user privacy has become of utmost importance. However, the ever-evolving technological landscape and the constant threat of cyberattacks make it increasingly difficult for individuals to navigate the digital realm securely. As these threats persist, there is a growing demand for innovative and usercentric solutions that prioritize digital safety.

To address this critical issue, I have developed a cybersecurity app tailored to gather essential data on real-world settings from users’ Android devices. The primary focus of the app is to empower researchers in understanding user preferences and practices concerning cybersecurity matters. The app efficiently scrapes the list of installed applications along with the corresponding privacy permissions and notification settings. By aggregating this data in a secure database, the app can enable researchers to derive insights into user behavior, potential privacy risks, and prevailing trends. By gaining insights into app permissions and notifications, researchers could identify potential privacy and security issues and develop strategies that can help users manage their security and privacy more effectively.