Why Johnny Still, Still Can't Encrypt: Evaluating the Usability of a Modern PGP Client
This highlights persistent usability issues in encryption tools for everyday users, which is incremental as it builds on long-standing concerns without introducing new solutions.
The study evaluated Mailvelope, a modern PGP client integrated with webmail, by having participant pairs attempt to use it for communication, finding that PGP tools remain largely unusable for general users over 15 years after initial usability critiques.
This paper presents the results of a laboratory study involving Mailvelope, a modern PGP client that integrates tightly with existing webmail providers. In our study, we brought in pairs of participants and had them attempt to use Mailvelope to communicate with each other. Our results shown that more than a decade and a half after \textit{Why Johnny Can't Encrypt}, modern PGP tools are still unusable for the masses. We finish with a discussion of pain points encountered using Mailvelope, and discuss what might be done to address them in future PGP systems.