Replication: What Would Motivate Users to Use Gmail’s Confidential Mode?

Abstract

Gmail's confidential mode (GCM) provides Gmail users with built-in access controls for their email content (e.g., setting an expiration time and passcode, pre-expiry access revocation, and prevention of email forwarding, downloading, and printing). However, a recent study showed that users mostly use it to send confidential emails, believing that this mode encrypts their emails and attachments by default. We replicated this study on participants who have not used GCM to understand what would motivate them to use GCM and how they would perceive GCM security features. Our interviews with 21 Gmail users showed that they would use GCM to share their confidential documents with recipients in person-to-person and person-to-business contexts. Additionally, our participants perceived that GCM would encrypt their emails and attachments. We discuss the similarities and differences between both studies and discuss their implications.