SPLICE Publication on Privacy Considerations for Third Party IoT Device Repair

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tinapavlovich

October 7, 2026

Would you let a third-party repair person into your home if one of your smart-home devices were malfunctioning? Recent SPLICE research explores the general public’s perception and willingness to employ “HandyTech” services, given the security and privacy risks associated with a third party entering a home and accessing devices that are rich in sensitive data.

Read the paper to learn how responses vary by respondents’ demographic groups, ownership of smart devices, concerns over privacy, and device specifics. This paper provides developers and policymakers with ways to decrease privacy concerns and increase the adoption of third-party IoT repair.

Reitinger, Nathan, Weijia He, Chelsea Bruno, Susan Landau, Carl A. Gunter, Mounib Khanafer, Ravindra Mangar, and Denise Anthony. “Help Me Help You: Privacy Considerations for Third Party IoT Device Repair.” Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies 2025, no. 4 (2025): 216–235. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://petsymposium.org/popets/2025/popets-2025-0128.php.

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The SPLICE research team consists of faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students from 8 different institutions across the United States. We look at smart-home security and privacy from a multi-disciplinary perspective, across the lifecycle of smart devices, with varied residential situations in mind.

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