A study of perceived distance required behind Japanese computer users in public spaces

We conducted a series of experiments to measure back distance, the distance behind a user that permits the user to manipulate personal information on a computer with a sense of security in public spaces. We assessed how the distance was affected by the type of personal information and the presence or absence of a partition that was sufficiently high to conceal the screen, then considered how these factors affected the user's sense of security in handling sensitive information. In this paper, we will highlight the key findings that emerged from the study: "when handling information that the user is not overly concerned whether it is observed or not, the presence or absence of a back partition does not affect the user's sense of security one way or the other; for the four types of personal information defined in this study, we observed significant differences or tendencies in the user's sense of security depending on the type of information; and, to support the handling of sensitive information with a genuine sense of security, it is not enough to merely shield the on-screen data from visibility by people in the vicinity, it also requires a certain amount of distance.