Navigating Digital Surveillance in Later Life: Determinants of Identity Masking and Data Protection Practices

Surveillance is a systemic and systematic threat exacerbated by the context of polycrisis. Recent political and economic processes, focused on intensive data collection, have led to multiple agents engaging in both vertical and horizontal forms of surveillance. Within this context, this study addresses a gap in academic research by identifying the determinants of two types of protection practices that demonstrate the ability of older internet users in Spain to exercise resilience against digital surveillance: identity masking and data protection. Through logistic regression models, we analyse responses to an online survey (N = 505) conducted in late 2023 on perceptions and practices regarding surveillance by five agents: corporations, governments, social institutions, individuals, and malicious actors. Results indicate that greater engagement in both identity masking and data protection practices is related to ageist self-stereotypes and problematic conceptions of digital technologies, as well as to high and negative perceptions of surveillance by other individuals. However, perceptions of the remaining agents show no consistent effects on protection practices. These findings generate an interesting dialogue with previous contributions on resilience and surveillance, and invite further qualitative and contextual research into older adults’ resilience and resistance to digital surveillance.