[2603.27117] Gender-Based Heterogeneity in Youth Privacy-Protective Behavior for Smart Voice Assistants: Evidence from Multigroup PLS-SEM

Computer Science > Cryptography and Security arXiv:2603.27117 (cs) [Submitted on 28 Mar 2026] Title:Gender-Based Heterogeneity in Youth Privacy-Protective Behavior for Smart Voice Assistants: Evidence from Multigroup PLS-SEM Authors:Molly Campbell, Yulia Bobkova, Ajay Kumar Shrestha View a PDF of the paper titled Gender-Based Heterogeneity in Youth Privacy-Protective Behavior for Smart Voice Assistants: Evidence from Multigroup PLS-SEM, by Molly Campbell and 1 other authors View PDF Abstract:This paper investigates how gender shapes privacy decision-making in youth smart voice assistant (SVA) ecosystems. Using survey data from 469 Canadian youths aged 16-24, we apply multigroup Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to compare males (N=241) and females (N=174) (total N = 415) across five privacy constructs: Perceived Privacy Risks (PPR), Perceived Privacy Benefits (PPBf), Algorithmic Transparency and Trust (ATT), Privacy Self-Efficacy (PSE), and Privacy Protective Behavior (PPB). Results provide exploratory evidence of gender heterogeneity in selected pathways. The direct effect of PPR on PPB is stronger for males (Male: \b{eta} = 0.424; Female: \b{eta} = 0.233; p < 0.1), while the indirect effect of ATT on PPB via PSE is stronger for females (Female: \b{eta} = 0.229; Male: \b{eta} = 0.132; p < 0.1). Descriptive analysis of non-binary (N=15) and prefer-not-to-say participants (N=39) shows lower trust and higher perceived risk than the binary groups, motivating ...