My Data or Our Data? A Comparative Study of Collaborative Family Apps and Parents' Experiences with Apple's Family Sharing
Authors: Amel Bourdoucen (Aalto University), Janne Lindqvist (Aalto University)
Volume: 2025
Issue: 4
Pages: 812–837
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56553/popets-2025-0159
Abstract: Collaborative family apps are designed for families to stay connected, look after their kids, and share life events. Despite their well-intended design, collaborative family apps can be invasive, leading to tensions in family relationships and exposure to online risks. We compared frequently downloaded collaborative family and parental control apps in terms of their features, with a focus on Apple's Family Sharing and Google's Family Link. We then conducted a qualitative interview study (N=20) to explore privacy experiences when using Apple's Family Sharing. Our results highlight privacy challenges with the use of collaborative family apps to negotiate boundaries and manage content, such as mismanaging finances and accidental content sharing. We reveal that roles and hierarchies on the app are unclear, leading to users' confusion about the privacy controls associated with each role. Based on these insights, we propose design recommendations to address these challenges and enhance the usability and privacy of collaborative family apps.
Keywords: parents, families, children, parental apps, collaborative family apps, privacy, mobile devices
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