Designing for sharing and trust: Opening the access to personal data

Pervasive sensing technologies can be used for the assessment and monitoring of mental health issues, behaviours and affective states. Whilst continuous tracking has often been used for self-reflection, other beneficial usages include: sharing data with circles of support, clinicians and researchers. However, opening access to personal data can put users in a vulnerable position, at the same time it contrasts with current discourses about data privacy protection. In particular, data related to mental health can bring stigma and discrimination. Therefore, there is a need for an in-depth analysis of user requirements, concerns and expectations, in order to create technologies that will benefit society and individuals. This paper brings the context and plans of the PhD project focused on developing a conceptual framework to inform designers of future behavioural data sharing platforms.