Keeping a Low Profile? Technology, Risk and Privacy among Undocumented Immigrants

Tamy Guberek, Allison McDonald, Sylvia Simioni, Abraham Mhaidli, Kentaro Toyama, Florian Schaub

Abstract:

Undocumented immigrants in the United States face risks of
discrimination, surveillance, and deportation. We investigate
their technology use, risk perceptions, and protective strategies
relating to their vulnerability. Through semi-structured interviews
with Latinx undocumented immigrants, we find that
while participants act to address offline threats, this vigilance
does not translate to their online activities. Their technology
use is shaped by needs and benefits rather than risk perceptions.
While our participants are concerned about identity theft
and privacy generally, and some raise concerns about online
harassment, their understanding of government surveillance
risks is vague and met with resignation. We identify tensions
among self-expression, group privacy, and self-censorship related
to their immigration status, as well as strong trust in
service providers. Our findings have implications for digital
literacy education, privacy and security interfaces, and technology
design in general. Even minor design decisions can
substantially affect exposure risks and well-being for such
vulnerable communities.