Design

An advertisement for a prolific study advertised at $6.00 for 20 minutes ($18.00/hr) with text: We are studying ways in which people's reliance on technology can cause them harm. We will ask you to recall and describe up to three experiences in which you suffered significant harm or loss due to your reliance on technology. Most of the questions require written responses, so it might take longer than expected if you are using a device that is slow to type with. These experiences may have been personal or traumatic, so some may find it uncomfortable or unpleasant to recall and describe them. We will not require you to complete questions you are uncomfortable answering. **We will be reviewing responses before approving payment.**

Block: Consent (block names not exposed to participants)

Introduction
In this survey we will ask you to recall and describe up to three experiences in which you suffered significant harm or loss due to your reliance on technology. The harms or losses could be recent or could have occurred long ago.

Please be sure not to share any information in their responses that could identify yourself or others.

Remember, if you are uncomfortable completing questions on this study, you may bypass them so long as you report having done so in the final question.

Consent Disclosure
What can I expect if I take part in this research?

You will fill out an anonymous survey in which we will ask you about harms you have suffered due to your reliance on technology.
It will take roughly 15 minutes if you are on a computer with a full keyboard and touch type.
We may share or publish your responses, but we will not ask you for any information that would allow us to know who you are or to link your answers to you.
(We will not link your prolific ID to your responses, though we will know yours was among the prolific IDs that participated in the study.)

What should I know about a research study?

Whether or not you take part is up to you.
Your participation is completely voluntary.
You can choose not to take part.
You can agree to take part and later change your mind.
Your decision will not be held against you.
Your refusal to participate will not result in any consequences or any loss of benefits that you are otherwise entitled to receive.
You can ask all the questions you want before you decide.

Who can I talk to?
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, or think the research has hurt you, talk to the research team leads: Serge Egelman (egelman@cs.berkeley.edu) and Stuart Schechter (stuart.schechter@g.harvard.edu)

To withdraw your consent from this study, return this task via Prolific.

Otherwise, continue.

Block: Collect Events (block names not exposed to participants)

For the first three questions, please recall the three most harmful technology-related harms or losses you have experienced. Take your time! These three questions may take half of the time budgeted to complete the survey.

Describe the most harmful technology-related harm or loss you have experienced:

Describe the second-most harmful technology-related harm or loss you have experienced:

Describe the third-most harmful technology-related harm or loss you have experienced:

Randomize

Block: photos (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you ever lost digital photos or videos for any reason? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

How many photos or videos have you lost over your lifetime?

I have never lost any photos or videos
More than five years of photos and/or videos
More than one year of photos and/or videos, but less than five years
More than one month of photos and/or videos, but less than one year
More than one week of photos and/or videos, but less than one month
More than one day of photos and/or videos, but less than one week
Less than one day of photos and/or videos

Skip to end of block if participant selects I have never lost any photos or videos

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

What events contributed to your loss of photos and videos? (check all that apply)

A phone storing the photos/videos was stolen
A phone storing the photos/videos broke or failed
A phone storing the photos/videos was lost
A phone storing the photos/videos was upgraded to a new phone and the photos/videos were not copied over
A (non-phone) camera storing the photos/videos was stolen, broke, or was lost
A memory card storing the photos/videos was stolen, broken, or lost after being removed from the phone or camera that took the photos/videos
The photos were stored by a family member, partner, or friend who died and did not leave me access to the account
The photos were stored by a current or former family member, partner, or friend who is no longer sharing them with me
A computer or hard drive storing the photos/videos broke or failed
A computer or hard drive storing the photos/videos was lost
A computer or hard drive storing the photos/videos was stolen
A chat app storing the photos/videos were stored in a chat app lost or deleted them
An online account that stored the photos/videos was compromised (hacked) and the photos/videos were deleted
I was locked out of an online storage account because I forgot or lost the password
I was locked out of an online storage account because of the loss or failure of a security key (e.g., a YubiKey)
I lost access to, or suffered the failure of, a security key (e.g., a YubiKey) used to verify my access to an online storage account on which the photos/videos were stored
I was locked out of an online storage account because I lost the phone used needed to login
I was permanently locked out of an online storage account for other reasons
An online account that stored the photos/videos was deleted because of disuse
An online account that stored the photos/videos locked deleted because of lack of payment
Other (please describe)

Block: emails (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you ever lost personal emails for any reason? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

How many personal emails have you lost over your lifetime?

I have never lost any emails
More than five years of emails
More than one year of emails, but less than five years
More than one month of emails, but less than one year
More than one week of emails, but less than one month
More than one day of emails, but less than one week
Less than one day of emails

Skip to end of block if participant selects I have never lost any emails

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

What events contributed to your loss of personal emails? (check all that apply)

After leaving a school, I lost access to a school email account before I could make copies of my emails
After leaving a job, I lost access to personal emails I had exchanged via a work email account and had meant to make copies of
My personal email account was compromised (hacked) and the emails were deleted
My personal email account was compromised (hacked) and I was unable to regain access to it
I was permanently locked out of my personal email account because I lost or forgot the correct password
I was permanently locked out of my personal email account because the phone I needed to use to login to it was lost, stolen, or broken
I was permanently locked out of my personal email account because of the loss or failure of a security key (e.g., a YubiKey)
My personal email account was deleted because I hadn't been using it
My personal email account was deleted for lack of payment
My personal email account was permanently locked for other reasons
A computer or hard drive storing the emails broke or failed
A computer or hard drive storing the emails was lost
A computer or hard drive storing the emails was stolen
Other (please describe)

Block: mental (block names not exposed to participants)

Has your reliance on technology negatively impacted your mental health, such as by causing addition, depression, anxiety, or loss of attention? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

How has technology negatively impacted your mental health? (check all that apply)

Loss of attention
Anxiety
Depression
Device addiction
Social media addiction
Other addiction
Other mental health impact (please describe)

Block: Scenario intro (block names not exposed to participants)

We will now describe 13 technology-related events that have harmed others, and ask if they have also happened to you.

(This is the bulk of the remainder of the study. After this, we will only be asking four short/multiple choice questions.)

Randomize

Group

Block: device-only (block names not exposed to participants)

The next two experiences we will ask about involve personal electronic devices, such as phones, computers, or tablets. We will ask if you have experienced the compromise of one of your devices (e.g., having it stolen or used in a way that you would not want to permit) or whether you have experienced being locked out of one of your devices.

We have a different sections asking about your experiences with online accounts, so please limit your answers to experiences in which a you were locked out of a personal device, or a personal device was compromised.

Randomize

Block: hacked-device (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you had a personal electronic device stolen, used by someone without your permission, used in a way that you did not permit or later regretted permitting, or otherwise compromised (hacked)? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

What best describes what happened? (If you experienced multiple harms of this type, answer the questions based on your most harmful experience.)

The device was compromised remotely (e.g., via a virus or malware)
The device was stolen
The device was used by someone who did not have my permission to use it
The device was used by someone with my permission, but who used it to access data I did not want to share
The device was used by someone with my permission, but who did something else I would not have permitted if asked
The device was used in a way that I later regretted permitting
Other (please describe)

What type of device was it?

Phone
Tablet (e.g. iPad, Galaxy Tab)
Computer (Mac, PC, etc.)
Other (please describe)

What type of phone was it?

iPhone
Android phone (e.g., Galaxy, Pixel, etc.)
Other (please describe)

What type of tablet was it?

iPad
Android (e.g., Galaxy Tab, Pixel Tablet)
Other (please describe)

What type of computer was it?

Mac running MacOS
PC running Windows
PC running Linux or other UNIX variant
Other (please describe)

How long ago did this happen? (If you have experienced this more than once please answer based on your worst experience.)

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long did it take you to regain access to the device?

I never lost access to the device
Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week, but I eventually did regain access to the device
I never regained access to the device
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Block: locked-device (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you been locked out of a personal electronic device for reasons other than it being stolen or compromised (hacked)? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

In which of your three most harmful experiences did you include it? (check all that apply)

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Where should you have included it in your ranking of harmful experiences? Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

The most harmful experience (before item 1)
The second-most harmful experience (before item 2)
The third-most harmful experience (before item 3)
Less harmful than item 3

What type of device were you locked out of? (If you experienced multiple harms of this type, answer the questions based on your most harmful experience.)

Phone
Tablet (e.g. iPad, Galaxy Tab)
Computer (Mac, PC, etc.)
Other (please describe)

What type of phone was it?

iPhone
Android phone (e.g., Galaxy, Pixel, etc.)
Other (please describe)

What type of tablet was it?

iPad
Android phone (e.g., Galaxy Tab, Pixel Tablet)
Other (please describe)

What type of computer was it?

Mac running MacOS
PC running Windows
PC running Linux or other UNIX variant
Other (please describe)

What factors led to you getting locked out of the device? (check all that apply)

I forgot a PIN or password
The device no longer recognized my fingerprint
The device no longer recognized my face
The PIN or password was recently changed
There was a problem with software on the device (e.g. failed upgrade)
The device broke due to physical impact (e.g., dropped)
The device broke for reasons other than physical impact
Other (please describe)

You reported that a changed PIN or password may have caused you to be locked out of the device. Who most likely changed the PIN or password last?

I did
My spouse or partner
My child or grandchild
My parent or grandparent
My sibling
My cousin
Another family member
My coworker
My friend
Someone else I know
Someone I don't know
Other (please describe)

Did you eventually regain access to the data stored on the device?

I never recovered any of the data from the device
I regained access to only some of the data on the device, but some was permanently lost
I regained access to all of the data on the device
Other (please describe)

How long were you locked out of the device?

Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week but not permanently
Permanently (I never regained use of the device)
Other (please describe)

How long ago did this happen?

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Group

Block: acct-only (block names not exposed to participants)

The next two experiences we will ask about involve personal email or online storage accounts, such as Google Accounts (Gmail, Google Drive), Apple iCloud accounts, or Microsoft Accounts (Hotmail/Outlook/OneDrive). We will ask if you have experienced the compromise of one of these accounts (e.g., having it used by someone without your permission or in a way you would not permit) or whether you have experienced being locked out of one of these accounts. Work email accounts typically are not personal email accounts, unless you are self employed and use the same account for the majority of your work and personal emails.

We have a different sections asking about your experiences with personal electronic devices and other types of online accounts, so please limit your answers to experiences that involve personal email or online storage accounts.

Randomize

Block: hacked-acct (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you had an email or online storage account used by someone without your permission, used in a way that your regretted permitting, or otherwise compromised (hacked)? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

What best describes what happened? (If you experienced multiple harms of this type, answer the questions based on your most harmful experience.)

The account was used by someone I knew with my permission, but they used it in a way that they knew I would not want
The account was used by someone I knew with my permission, but they used it in a way that I would not have permitted if asked
The account was used in a way that I would have permitted at the time, but later regretted
The account was used by someone I knew without my permission
The account was accessed by someone I did not know
Other (please describe)

What type of account was it?

Google Account (Gmail, Google Drive, etc.)
Microsoft Account (Hotmail, Outlook, OneDrive, Microsoft 365, etc.)
Apple (Apple ID, iCloud, etc.)
Other (please describe)

How long ago did this happen? (If you have experienced this more than once please answer based on your worst experience.)

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long did it take you to regain access to the account?

I never lost access
Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week, but I eventually did regain access to the account
I never regained access to the account
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Block: locked-acct (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you been temporarily or permanently locked out of an email or online storage account for reasons other than it being compromised (hacked)? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

How long ago did this happen? (If you have experienced this more than once please answer based on your worst experience.)

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

What type of account were you locked out of?

Google Account (Gmail, Google Drive, etc.)
Microsoft Account (Hotmail, Outlook, OneDrive, Microsoft 365, etc.)
Apple (Apple ID, iCloud, etc.)
Other (please describe)

What factors led to you getting locked out of the account? (check all that apply)

I forgot a PIN or password
The PIN or password was recently changed
The correct PIN or password no longer worked
I lost access to a phone number used to verify my account
I lost access to, or suffered the failure of, a phone used to verify my account
I lost access to, or suffered the failure of, a security key (e.g., a YubiKey) used to verify my account
I lost access to the password manager in which I had stored the password
I lost the paper on which I had written down the PIN or password
I lost the electronic file or document in which I had stored the PIN or password
The account was locked or deleted because I had not used it for a long time
Other (please describe)

You reported that a changed PIN or password may have caused you to be locked out of the account. Who most likely changed the PIN or password last?

I did
My spouse or partner
My child or grandchild
My parent or grandparent
My sibling
My cousin
Another family member
My coworker
My friend
Someone else I know
Someone I don't know
Other (please describe)

How long were you locked out of the account?

Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week but not permanently
Permanently (I never regained access to the account)
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Group

Block: soc-only (block names not exposed to participants)

The next two experiences we will ask about involve social media or direct messaging accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, SnapChat, WhatsApp, WeChat, and Signal. We will ask if you have experienced the compromise of one of these accounts (e.g., having it used by someone without your permission or in a way you would not permit) or whether you have experienced being locked out of one of these accounts.

We have a different sections asking about your experiences with personal electronic devices and other types of online accounts, so please limit your answers to experiences that involve social media or direct messaging accounts.

Randomize

Block: hacked-soc (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you had a social media or direct messaging account stolen, used by someone without your permission, used in a way that you did not permit or later regretted permitting, or otherwise compromised? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

What best describes what happened? (If you experienced multiple harms of this type, answer the questions based on your most harmful experience.)

The account was used by someone I knew with my permission, but they used it in a way that they knew I would not want
The account was used by someone I knew with my permission, but they used it in a way that I would not have permitted if asked
The account was used in a way that I I would have permitted at the time, but later regretted
The account was used by someone I knew without my permission
The account was accessed by someone I did not know
Other (please describe)

What type of account was it?

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter/X
SnapChat
WhatsApp
WeChat
Signal
Other (please describe)

How long ago did this happen?

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long did it take you to regain access to the account?

I never lost access
Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week, but I eventually did regain access to the account
I never regained access to the account
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Block: locked-soc (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you been temporarily or permanently locked out of a social media or direct messaging account for reasons other than it being compromised (hacked)? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

What type of account were you locked out of? (If you have experienced this more than once please answer based on your worst experience.)

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter/X
SnapChat
WhatsApp
WeChat
Signal
Other (please describe)

What factors led to you getting locked out of the account? (check all that apply)

I forgot a PIN or password
The PIN or password was recently changed
the correct PIN or password no longer worked
I lost access to a phone number used to verify my account
I lost access to, or suffered the failure of, a phone used to verify my account
I lost access to, or suffered the failure of, a security key (e.g., a YubiKey) used to verify my account
I lost access to the password manager in which I had stored the password
I lost the paper on which I had written down the PIN or password
I lost the electronic file or document in which I had stored the PIN or password
The account was locked or deleted because I had not used it for a long time
Other (please describe)

You reported that a changed PIN or password may have caused you to be locked out of the account. Who most likely changed the PIN or password last?

I did
My spouse or partner
My child or grandchild
My parent or grandparent
My sibling
My cousin
Another family member
My coworker
My friend
Someone else I know
Someone I don't know
Other (please describe)

How long ago did this happen?

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long were you locked out of the account?

Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week but not permanently
Permanently (I never regained access to the account)
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Group

Block: bank-only (block names not exposed to participants)

The next two experiences we will ask about involve online bank, brokerage, or payment accounts, including credit card accounts, cryptocurrency, PayPal, and Venmo. We will ask if you have experienced the compromise of one of these accounts (e.g., having it used by someone without your permission or in a way you would not permit) or whether you have experienced being locked out of one of these accounts.

We have a different sections asking about your experiences with personal electronic devices and other types of online accounts, so please limit your answers to experiences that involve online bank, brokerage, or payment accounts.

Randomize

Block: hacked-bank (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you had an online bank, brokerage, or payment account compromised? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

What best describes what happened? (If you experienced multiple harms of this type, answer the questions based on your most harmful experience.)

The account was used by someone I knew with my permission, but they used it in a way that they knew I would not want
The account was used by someone I knew with my permission, but they used it in a way that I would not have permitted if asked
The account was used in a way that I I would have permitted at the time, but later regretted
The account was used by someone I knew without my permission
The account was accessed by someone I did not know
Other (please describe)

What type of account was it?

Credit Card
Credit Union
Retirement
Brokerage
Paypal
Venmo
Cryptocurrency
Bank
Other (please describe)

How long ago did this happen? (If you have experienced this more than once please answer based on your worst experience.)

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long did it take you to regain access to the account?

I never lost access
Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week, but I eventually did regain access to the account
I never regained access to the account
Other (please describe)

Please estimate the amount lost, and never recovered, in dollars.

Please estimate the amount lost but later recovered or restored to your account, in dollars.

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Block: locked-bank (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you been temporarily or permanently locked out of an online bank, brokerage, or payment account for reasons other than it being compromised (hacked)? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

What type of account were you locked out of? (If you have experienced this more than once please answer based on your worst experience.)

Bank
Credit Union
Credit card
Brokerage
Retirement
Cryptocurrency
Paypal
Venmo
Other (please describe)

What factors led to you getting locked out of the account? (check all that apply)

I forgot a PIN or password
the correct PIN or password no longer worked
The PIN or password was recently changed
I lost access to a phone number used to verify my account
I lost access to, or suffered the failure of, a phone used to verify my account
I lost access to, or suffered the failure of, a security key (e.g., a YubiKey) used to verify my account
I lost access to the password manager in which I had stored the password
I lost the paper on which I had written down the PIN or password
I lost the electronic file or document in which I had stored the PIN or password
The account was locked or deleted because I had not used it for a long time
Other (please describe)

You reported that a changed PIN or password may have caused you to be locked out of the account. Who most likely changed the PIN or password last?

I did
My spouse or partner
My child or grandchild
My parent or grandparent
My sibling
My cousin
Another family member
My coworker
My friend
Someone else I know
Someone I don't know
Other (please describe)

How long ago did this happen?

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long were you locked out of the account?

Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week but not permanently
Permanently (I never regained access to it)
Other (please describe)

Please estimate the consequences of being locked out of your account in units of dollars.

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Group

Block: pwds-only (block names not exposed to participants)

The next two experiences we will ask about involve the practice of storing passwords in your browser or password manager, so that your browser or password manager can remember them for your future use. For example, you might let Safari store passwords in your Apple Keychain, Chrome store your password in your Google Account, or you might use a separate password manager like 1Password, BitwWarden, DashLane, Keeper, KeePass, or LastPass.

The following questions only relate to harm that results from relying on your browser of password manager to store your passwords.

Randomize

Block: hacked-pwds (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you had the passwords stored by your browser or password manager stolen, used by someone without your permission, used in a way that you did not permit or later regretted permitting, or otherwise compromised? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

From which browser or password manager were the passwords stolen or compromised (hacked)?

Apple's KeyChain (for Safari browser and iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS)
Google's Password Manager (for Chrome browser, and Android OS)
Microsoft Account/Password Manager/Wallet (for Edge browser, formerly Internet Explorer browser, and Windows OS)
1Password
BitWarden
DashLane
Keeper
KeePass
LastPass
Other (please describe)

How long ago did this happen? (If you have experienced this more than once please answer based on your worst experience.)

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long did it take you to regain access to the compromised account?

I never lost access
Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week, but I eventually did regain access to the account
I never regained access to the account
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Block: locked-pwds (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you been temporarily or permanently locked out of the passwords stored by your browser or password manager? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Which browser or password manager were you using that you got locked out of? (If you have experienced this more than once please answer based on your worst experience.)

Apple's KeyChain (for Safari browser and iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS)
Google's Password Manager (for Chrome browser, and Android OS)
Microsoft Account/Password Manager/Wallet (for Edge browser, formerly Internet Explorer browser, and Windows OS)
1Password
BitWarden
DashLane
Keeper
KeePass
LastPass
Other (please describe)

What factors led to you getting locked out of your passwords? (check all that apply)

I forgot a PIN, password, or master password
the correct PIN, password, or master password no longer worked
The PIN, password, or master password was recently changed
I lost access to a phone number used to regain access
I lost access to, or suffered the failure of, a phone used to store my passwords or regain access
I lost access to, or suffered the failure of, a security key (e.g., a YubiKey) needed to regain access
I lost the paper on which I had written down the PIN, password, or master password
I lost the electronic file or document in which I had stored the PIN, password, or master password
The account was locked or deleted because I had not used it for a long time
Other (please describe)

You reported that a changed PIN, password, or password may have caused you to be locked out of your password manager's passwords. Who most likely changed the PIN or password last?

I did
My spouse or partner
My child or grandchild
My parent or grandparent
My sibling
My cousin
Another family member
My coworker
My friend
Someone else I know
Someone I don't know
Other (please describe)

How long ago did this happen?

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long were you locked out of your passwords?

Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week but not permanently
Permanently (I never regained access to them)
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Block: swap-device (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you suffered harm, such as lost data or access to accounts, as result of replacing or upgrading one of your devices or the software on it? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

What caused the harm?

Replacing the device
Upgrading or replacing software on the device
Other (please explain)

What did you lose? (check all that apply)

Data on the device shared by many applications, such as documents or photos
Data within certain apps
Access to apps or services that the app had access to
Other (please explain)

How long ago did this happen?

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long did it take you to recover?

Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week but I eventually recovered
I never fully recovered
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Block: disconnect (block names not exposed to participants)

Have you suffered harm, such as losing data, losing access to accounts, or having technology fail you when you really needed it, because a device, app, or other technology behaved in a way that you did not understand or expect, because it behaved differently from what was promised, or because it failed to live up to expectations for quality and reliability (it had defects or bugs)? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

What caused the harm? (check all that apply)

The technology behaved in a way that I did not expect or understand (e.g., I had assumed data was automatically saved when it had not)
The technology broke a promise that it had made (e.g., an app reported that data was backed up when it was not)
There technology was unreliable or of low quality
Other (please explain)

What harm did you suffer? (check all that apply)

I lost data
I lost access to accounts or services
The technology wasn't available when I really needed it
The technology misled me
The technology put my safety in danger
The technology embarrassed me or made me look bad
Other (please explain)

How long ago did this happen?

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long did it take you to recover?

Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week but I eventually recovered
I never fully recovered
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Block: abuse (block names not exposed to participants)

Have the technologies you or others rely on been used to embarrass or harass you? (check all that apply)

Recall that the three experiences you described were:

participant's top harm
participant's second harm
participant's third harm

Yes, this happened as part of experience 1 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 2 above
Yes, this happened as part of experience 3 above
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my second-most harmful
Yes, and while I did not describe it above, I should have ranked it my third-most harmful
Yes, but I did not describe it above because it should not rank among my three most harmful
No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future
No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

Skip to end of block if participant selects No, but I do worry that this might happen to me in the future , No, and I do not worry that this might happen to me in the future

What caused the harm? (check all that apply)

I used the technology in a way that I did not intend and that led to my embarrassment
I used the technology in a way that I did intend and that led to my embarrassment
Others used technology I relied on to stalk me
Others used technology in a way that unintentionally embarrassed me
Others used technology to intentionally embarrass me
Other (please explain)

How long ago did this happen?

Within the past year (since one year ago today)
Within the past 3 years (but not within the past year)
Within the past 5 years (but not within the past 3 years)
Within the past 10 years (but not within the past 5 years)
More than 10 years ago
Other (please describe)

How long did it take you to recover?

Less than a day
Between a day and a week
More than a week but I eventually recovered
I never fully recovered
Other (please describe)

Please rank the severity of the harm or loss on a scale of 1 (not harmful at all) to 7 (extremely harmful)?

Is there anything more we should know about how this happened or the harm you suffered as a result?

Block: Demographics Base/Universal (block names not exposed to participants)

Almost done! Now we just need your year of birth, level of education, gender, and a final question about any discomfort with this survey.

What is your year of birth?

What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received?

Less than high school degree
High school graduate (high school diploma or equivalent including GED)
Some college but no degree
Associate degree in college (2-year)
Bachelor's degree in college (4-5 year)
Master's degree
Doctoral degree
Professional degree (JD, MD)
Prefer not to answer

How do you describe yourself?

Male
Female
Non-binary / third gender
Prefer to self-describe
Prefer not to say

Block: Discomfort (block names not exposed to participants)

Did you choose not complete any question or part of this study?

I chose to skip questions so I could complete this study faster.
I should not select this answer.
I chose not to complete parts of this study due to discomfort.
I chose not to complete parts of this study for reasons other than discomfort.
I completed the this entire study despite significant discomfort.
I completed this entire study despite mild discomfort.
I completed this entire study with no discomfort.

We are sorry that participating in this study caused some discomfort. We invite you to explain as much as you are comfortable sharing about your reason for discomfort.