Warda Usman*, Taha*, Saba Iqbal, Amna Batool, Daniel Zappala [* Joint first authors]
Harassment impacts the safety and well-being of young adultsin Pakistan. Prior research has largely focused on women, oftenimposing external definitions of harm and overlooking how indi-viduals themselves understand and respond to harassment. Thisstudy examines how Pakistani young adults define, experience,and cope with harassment. Drawing on 33 semi-structured inter-views guided by a human-centered threat modeling framework, wesurface context-specific threat models. Participants’ definitions ofharassment were shaped by gender norms, religious values, andmoral judgments. Women described harassment as a routine partof life, tied to public visibility, modesty norms. Men also reportedharassment, though framed by different dynamics such as pressureto maintain control, avoid vulnerability, and conform to masculin-ity. Across participants, formal reporting pathways were viewedas untrustworthy or unsafe. Our findings highlight the need for in-terventions that reflect local definitions of harm, address relationaladversaries, and support safety within sociocultural contexts.
Warda Usman*, John Sadik*, Taha, Ran Elgedawy, Scott Routi, Daniel Zappala
In this work, we consider the socio-technical challenges faced by Pakistani immigrants in the US. This includes the parent-child dynamics that affect how they learn about and adopt to security and privacy practices in the US. It also includes their online and offline threat models, including protective strategies. Through 25 semi-structured interviews with Pakistani immigrants, we find that first-generation immigrants perceive heightened risks of discrimination, surveillance, and isolation. They also report tensions regarding self-expression and self-censorship concerning their identity. In contrast, second-generation immigrants, quickly adapt and do not perceive most of these challenges. We find that parents and children mutually support each other in learning to use technology and reacting to perceived threats.
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Our findings highlight the need for tailored digital safety initiatives, as well as designs that consider the needs of at-risk populations. Recognizing and addressing these challenges can foster more inclusive digital landscapes, empowering immigrant populations with resilience and agency.
Afaq Ashraf*, Taha*, Nida ul Habib Bajwa, Cornelius J. Konig, Mobin Javed, Maryam Mustafa [* Joint first authors]Paper
We explore the experiences, understandings, and perceptions of cyber-threats and crimes amongst young adults in Pakistan, focusing on their mechanisms for protecting themselves, for reporting cyber threats and for managing their digital identities. Relying on data from a qualitative study with 34 participants in combination with a repertory grid analysis with 18 participants, we map users mental models and constructs of cyber crimes and threats, their understanding of digital vulnerabilities, their own personal boundaries and their moral compasses on what constitutes an invasion of privacy of other users in a country where there is little legal legislation governing cyberspace and cyber crimes. Our findings highlight the importance of platform adaptation to accommodate the unique context of countries with limited legal mandates and reporting outlets, the ways in which digital vulnerabilities impact diverse populations, and how security and privacy design can be more inclusive.
I'm a PhD student at CISPA in Germany. Previously, I did my Masters in UX Design from Purdue University and worked as a Design Instructor for TECH120 course at TLI Deparment in the university. During my Masters, I worked on designing inclusive and accessible technologies for low-income, low-literate populations as a Summer Intern at CISPA, Germany. I also contributed to developing safe technologies for young adults and immigrants with folks at BYU and University of Tennessee. Even before that, I ran my own startups, Sutoon and Band Baaja Baraat, collaborating with government orphanages and wedding vendors.
Originally from Lahore, Pakistan - I completed my Bachelor's in Computer Science from LUMS. My interest in design was sparked when I took my first Human Computer Interaction course in undergrad. This interest was further scoped toward Usable Privacy and Security for emerging markets through my Teaching Assistantship for a Graduate-level course, ICTs for Development, and Research Assistantship on a cybercrime project.
