  Data collection through the Internet of Things (IoT) devices, or smart
devices, in commercial buildings enables possibilities for increased
convenience and energy efficiency. However, such benefits face a large
perceptual challenge when being implemented in practice, due to the different
ways occupants working in the buildings understand and trust in the data
collection. The semi-public, pervasive, and multi-modal nature of data
collection in smart buildings points to the need to study occupants'
understanding of data collection and notification preferences. We conduct an
online study with 492 participants in the US who report working in smart
commercial buildings regarding: 1) awareness and perception of data collection
in smart commercial buildings, 2) privacy notification preferences, and 3)
potential factors for privacy notification preferences. We find that around
half of the participants are not fully aware of the data collection and use
practices of IoT even though they notice the presence of IoT devices and
sensors. We also discover many misunderstandings around different data
practices. The majority of participants want to be notified of data practices
in smart buildings, and they prefer push notifications to passive ones such as
websites or physical signs. Surprisingly, mobile app notification, despite
being a popular channel for smart homes, is the least preferred method for
smart commercial buildings.
