Privacy and Fitness Apps: How Dutch users perceive recommendations on how developers of fitness apps can increase their transparency

In recent times, there have been breaches of privacy involving fitness apps. Researchers which have conducted studies involving end users of fitness apps have found out that there is a want from users that developers of fitness apps should become more transparent when it comes to communicating to end users the privacy implications of using their fitness apps. The Rathenau Institute and the Center for Digital Democracy , have come up with recommendations for developers of fitness apps as to how they can become more transparent when it comes to communicating to end users the privacy implications of using their fitness apps. There has been no study which has looked at what users think of their recommendations. The research question of this study was: How do Dutch users of fitness apps perceive recommendations by research institutes on how developers of fitness apps can be more transparent in conveying information to end users regarding the privacy implications of using their fitness apps? To get an answer to the RQ, ten semi-structured interviews with Dutch fitness apps users were held. The resulting data was then analysed using a hybrid approach to thematic analysis. The themes generated were good beginning, not good enough, incentivisation plays a key role, nuances apparent, surprised about implementation and social media importance. These themes showcase the main perceptions. Firstly, all of the studied Dutch users perceived all or most of the recommendations to be a good beginning in helping developers of fitness apps to increase transparency regarding conveying information to end users concerning the privacy implications of using their fitness apps. Secondly, nearly all of the studied Dutch users had the same perception, which was even if these recommendations were implemented they would still take extra precautions concerning their privacy. In addition, five of the studied Dutch users shared a perception of the recommendations with that being that although they found the recommendations to be good, for them to pay attention to information regarding the privacy implications of using fitness apps, they have to be incentivised. Furthermore, nearly all of the studied Dutch users perceived the recommendations through a lens which was critical. Moving on, another perception of the recommendations that five of the studied Dutch users shared is that they were surprised that the recommendations were not implemented already. Lastly, another perception of the recommendations that was shared by some of the studied Dutch users is that they noted that what was vacant from these recommendations was a recommendation about social media.