Differential Vulnerability

The concept that different populations face different types and degrees of risk from the same technology, based on factors such as disability, age, gender, or socioeconomic status. In accessibility and privacy research, differential vulnerability highlights that disabled users, who rely more heavily on assistive technologies and browser extensions, are disproportionately exposed to tracking, fingerprinting, and accessibility regressions. Designing inclusive security and privacy requires recognising that "average user" threat models overlook these disparities.