"You do understand that people don't trust technology?": Explaining Trusted Execution Environments to Non-Experts

2026-05-25

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenge that non-expert users often distrust the privacy-preserving capabilities of secure technologies like Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) due to difficulties in understanding their underlying mechanisms. Through a scenario-based experimental study (N=966), the authors systematically evaluate multiple explanation strategies tailored for lay audiences. Findings indicate that non-technical explanations focusing on concrete threat scenarios significantly improve users’ comprehension of TEEs. However, this enhanced understanding does not translate into a statistically significant increase in willingness to adopt such technologies, thereby challenging the common assumption that improved explanation alone suffices to foster user trust and adoption. The results offer empirical grounding and design implications for communicating complex security technologies to the general public.

Abstract

Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) protect confidentiality and integrity of trusted applications by creating an isolated environment for executing code. Prior work has shown that users may feel more comfortable sharing data when they know it will be protected by a TEE, especially if they understand what a TEE is. In this study, we evaluated text-based explanations introducing TEEs to non-experts. We analyzed existing TEE explanations to develop candidate explanations and evaluated them via vignette scenarios with 966 crowdworkers. The explanations that enhanced understanding most were non-technical ones that highlighted specific threats that can be prevented by a TEE. Surprisingly, even the explanations that enhanced understanding had little effect on willingness to use the TEE-enhanced technology. These results provide insights into ways to communicate technical security concepts more effectively but also suggest that explaining security technology might not be enough to address users' privacy concerns.

Problem

• Trusted Execution Environments
• user understanding
• security explanations
• non-experts
• privacy concerns

Innovation

• Trusted Execution Environments
• user understanding
• security communication
• privacy concerns
• non-expert explanations