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Article published In:
Translation Spaces
Vol. 12:1 (2023) ► pp.21–44

Privacy and everyday users of machine translation

ORCID logo | University of Bristol
ORCID logo | University of Bristol
ORCID logo | University of Bristol
ORCID logo | University of Auckland
The concept of privacy is central to technology use, but in machine translation (MT) research the meaning of privacy, and what it represents to everyday MT users, are both often left unquestioned. This article examines user conceptualisations of privacy and their implications for the understanding of human-MT interaction. It draws on the privacy literature, on an online forum and on a survey of MT users. The findings show that while users have concerns about sharing information such as passwords, images, and contact details with MT providers, some of them can conversely see MT as a technology that provides privacy. The article discusses these findings in relation to the informational and relational dimensions of privacy. It argues that relational privacy, and the interpersonal exchanges for which MT can be used as a substitute, should be considered more explicitly in discussions of the societal implications of MT technology.
Keywords: privacy, machine translation, users, society, communication
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical background
    • 2.1The concept of privacy
    • 2.2Privacy and MT use data
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Gathering privacy concerns of Google Translate users
    • 3.2Survey method
  • 4.Privacy in human-MT interaction
    • 4.1Characterising privacy concerns
    • 4.2Privacy and perceptions of (machine) translation
    • 4.3Relational and informational privacy in MT use
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Data availability statement
  • References
Published online: 20 December 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ts.22012.nun
References (55)
Data availability statement
The survey dataset described in Section 3.2 is available by clicking on the DOI symbol. DOI logo
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