Return to Mexico to re-test Tor Browser in moderated sessions

changed milestone to %Sponsor 30 - Objective 3.6

added Backlog UX Team Research Sponsor 30 - FINISHED labels

assigned to @nah

added Q2 label

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#41482

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#41600 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#41093 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#40701 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#40552 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#17400 (closed)

removed the relation with tpo/applications/tor-browser#40552 (closed)

removed the relation with tpo/applications/tor-browser#41482

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#41085 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#41080 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#40958 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#41617 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#41713 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tpo/applications/tor-browser#41714 (closed)

User Research Plan

Goals

Validate improvements made based on users' pain points in previous testings when connecting to a bridge manually. Additionally, we will test the new circuit display.

Audience

Human Rights Defenders, activists, feminists, journalists and digital security enthusiasts.

Recruitment

We will be reaching out to human rights organizations based in Mexico to support us during the recruitment process.

Research participants should have been in contact with Tor Browser before, either on a training or in a daily-use.

Previous Research

#88 (closed) #89 (closed) #91 (closed) #107 (closed)

Issues related

See linked issues.

Methodology

Moderated usability testing combined with interviews.

Usability testing

In a usability-testing session, a researcher (called a “facilitator” or a “moderator”) asks a participant to perform tasks, usually using one or more specific user interfaces. While the participant completes each task, the researcher observes the participant’s behavior and listens for feedback. (nngroup)

Suggested Time

30 minutes.

Materials Needed

• Facilitator will bring a laptop with Tor Browser Nightly for Desktop installed.
• Internet
• Usability testing printed to make notes, pens, sticky notes.
• Demographics survey.
• At least: one table and two chairs.

Setting up Tor Browser

When doing the test, each participant will be asked to perform certain settings on Tor Browser, so before starting the next one, be sure Tor Browser Nightly doesn't have any settings pre-configured, for example: bridges.

Outline and timing

1. Introduction to the session

Welcome participant, explain the activity, the technical setup, get consent to publish anonymous quotes from the activity and to share it online publicly.

Introduction: This test will take around 30 minutes. We are going to connect to Tor normally, browse it and check our circuit. Then, we are going to change our connection settings, test bridges and again browse normally. We will also download a file when browsing, with a link that will be provided to you. Please, share your thoughts out loud while browsing through Tor Browser.

2. Activity

• Go over the demographics questionnaire, understanding the user context when using the internet.
• First-time participants will be instructed about how Tor works.
• Current Tor users will be instructed to open the Tor browser.

Let's start

When you open Tor Browser, this is the first page you will see. Please, connect to Tor Browser and browse to any webpage you usually navigate. Please, share your thoughts about this experience while browsing.

Now, let's check the Tor circuit. Tor circuit is where you can see the Tor Network nodes. Please, also share your thoughts about it.

Now, we are going to start over. The researcher should close and open the Tor Browser to be sure it's not connected automatically.

So, now instead of connecting to Tor, let's manually configure this connection. Please, go ahead.

When the participant finds Connection, explain: here you can see many ways to configure the connection to join the Tor Network. You have several options on this page.

Take your time to look at this page, then tell me what you see and what you think you can do at this page.

To connect to Tor, you need to configure bridges, how can you do it?

(Take notes of the user options for bridges.)

If the user stops at the list of bridges' options: What do you understand about these options?

(Take notes)

I want you to set-up built-in bridges. Please, have a look at the options you have there.

If they jump straight to one specific bridge: Why did you choose this bridge?

(Take notes of the user's explanation.)

After choosing the bridge, ask them to test if it works: Please connect and test if this bridge works.

(Take notes - connect button)

If the bridge selected didn't work, come back and try new bridges (Let's try another one), until it works, and ask the user's perception of connecting to the bridge.

(Take notes)

Scenario: Bridge works, list of the bridges are displayed

What do you see that is different in this page (connection settings) right now? Which one is the bridge you are using?

(Take notes)

If the user doesn't ask about the emojis, ask them: what do you think about bridge-moji?

(Take notes)

Please, read the bridge-moji documentation and tell me what you understand about it.

(Take notes)

So now that you're connected, let's visit a popular website.

Tell the user to visit any website they usually visit.

(Take notes)

Let's see your circuit. Can you change the circuit?

Goal: User is able to find and understand the information displayed in the Tor circuit. User is or isn't confused about the relays displayed.

(Take notes)

So, now, let's go back to the Connection Settings again. Now, we are going to remove all bridges, browse with normal relay, and check the circuit.

(Goal: user is able to remove bridges and browse normally)

Let's download a file. Please go to this website: onionshare.org and try to download it.

Goal: User is able to download and understand the information displayed in the Tor download dialog.

(Take notes)

Overall, how is your experience using Tor Browser in a censored environment?

(Take notes)

From 1 to 5, how likely would you recommend Tor Browser for someone that needs privacy and security in their online activities? Please, explain.

(Take notes)

Thank you very much for participating in this study! Your support is really important and will help us to improve Tor Browser in the future.

Usability testing report - Mexico, April 2023

• Participants in this study by self-identification: 2 female, 1 male, 2 non-binary.
• Participants in this study by age: 4 participants between 30-40y, 1 participant +40y.

Some users have difficulty finding the circuit display - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41600 (closed): 4 out of 5 users were able to find the circuit display. Two users noted that the new button makes sense, since the padlock is supposed to show the https secure connection. The user that wasn't able to find the circuit display was a first-time user.

Users don't understand the purpose of bridge-moji - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41093 (closed): 4 out of 5 users don't understand the purpose of bridge-moji. They tried to click on it to see if something happened. After reading the bridge-moji explanation, two of them mentioned that the explanation isn't clear and doesn't explain the purpose of it. "Does the emojis mean that the bridge inserted is correct? Is this random? If so, why isn't this explained explicitly?"

• 2 out of 5 users said that the name puente-moji (bridge-moji in spanish) is confusing. It feels like it's another type of bridge.
• 1 out of 5 users mentioned that the bridge-moji shows more visual information than they would want.
• 1 out of 5 users understands the purpose of bridge-moji, they are power-users.

Improve security warning when downloading a file - tpo/applications/tor-browser#40701 (closed): Users read and understand the purpose of the warning dialog. 1 out of 5 users mentioned that if the purpose of the warning is to ensure that users understand that Tor is not an antivirus, then the warning should explicitly say this. They suggest that the warning could be more direct and that the "offline" word can be misleading, they suggested: "Some files can execute actions out of your control, to be more secure, only open this kind of files using Tails". While also mentioning that most users don't know what's Tails.

Refactor the UI to remove all bridges - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41085 (closed): all users were able to remove all bridges. 1 out of 5 users asked if they needed to restart Tor Browser after removing the bridges, so it would work.

Improve the UX of the built-in bridges dialog - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41617 (closed):

• 3 out of 5 users don't understand Snowflake's explanation, mentioning that it is meta-explanatory (Snowflake & Snowflake proxies), which doesn't mean anything for the user.
• 3 out of 5 users chose obfs4 because it's the first option.
• 1 user chose meek-azure because its explanation seems familiar to them. Another one says it would be their second choice also because of the explanation.
• 1 out of 5 users chose Snowflake because they didn't understand what it means.

“Show Fewer Bridges” button missing from refactored remove all bridges UI - tpo/applications/tor-browser#41714 (closed): 1 out of 5 users didn't understand why they were able to see so many bridges, and asked if they could chose which bridge to use among all the options displayed.

Other:

• When trying to connect, users appreciate the progress bar and the explanation displayed. One of the users mentioned it would be good to have some exclusive explanation for when someone is connecting through bridges.
• Use Current Bridges is an option even when there aren't any current bridges configured. 2 out of 5 users checked this button imagining this would get then connected to bridges automatically. Is it possible to show this option only after bridges are selected?