Transparency Bridges: Bridging Transparency Requirements in Smartphone Ecosystems

Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (CSAIL), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(Daniel J. Weitzner, Ilaria Liccardi)

 

 

 

Project Details:
The key objective of the project is to understand how different regulatory environments for data privacy (EU and US) shape technical affordances and user behavior within smartphone ecosystems. To do so, the project studies variations of privacy perceptions and expectations in EU and US populations, across and within different smartphone ecosystems. We look specifically at different approaches transnational ecosystem providers take in providing transparency for users under varying regulatory, technical and social conditions. The project explores the following research questions

  1. What are the transparency mechanisms in different smartphone ecosystems and how do they map to transparency requirements in the EU and US data privacy frameworks?
  2. How is the effectiveness of transparency offered by apps dependent on the app ecosystem and do ecosystems influence the business models of apps in this regard?
  3. How do transparency expectations vary with different populations (US, EU, incl. NL) and across different smartphone ecosystems (Apple, Google) and operating systems (Android and iOS)?
  4. How can ecosystems improve data privacy protection to conform with people’s privacy expectations, preferences and concern? And how can regulators and lawmakers respond to the role of the ecosystem providers in protecting privacy?

This project is the first one of its kind to apply an interdisciplinary (law and human computer interaction) approach to the question of how differing legal and cultural factors in the US and Europe affect US/EU citizens privacy expectations, preferences and user behaviors.

See more about the results of this project on this poster.


Publications

  • Fahy, J. van Hoboken & N. van Eijk, Mobile Privacy and Business-to-Platform Dependencies: An Analysis of SEC Disclosures, 13 Journal of Business & Technology Law (2018) (forthcoming).
  • Fahy and J. van Hoboken, Smartphone Ecosystems and Upcoming European Regulation, Smartphone Ecosystems Roundtable, Amsterdam Privacy Conference 2018, University of Amsterdam, 8 October 2018.
  • van Hoboken, R. Fahy & N. van Eijk, The Data-Driven Transformation of Games to Services: Mobile Platforms, User Data Governance and the Shaping of App Business Models, Computational Culture (2019) (abstract accepted).
  • Fahy, J. van Hoboken & N. van Eijk, Mobile Privacy and Business-to-Platform Dependencies: An Analysis of SEC Disclosures, TPRC 2018, American University Washington College of Law, Washington DC, 21 September 2018.
  • Fahy, J. van Hoboken & N. van Eijk, Data Privacy, Transparency and the Data-Driven Transformation of Games to Services, IEEE Games, Entertainment and Media Conference 2018, National University of Ireland, 16 August 2018.
  • Fahy, J. van Hoboken & N. van Eijk, Mobile Privacy and Business-to-Platform Dependencies: An Analysis of SEC Disclosures, Privacy Law Scholars Conference 2018, Washington DC, 30 May 2018.
  • Fahy, J. van Hoboken & N. van Eijk, The Data-Driven Transformation of Games to Services: The Impact of Mobile Platforms on App Business Models, Privacy Law Scholars Conference Europe 2018, Brussels, 27 January 2018.
  • Van Kleek, I. Liccardi, R. Binns, J. Zhao, D. J. Weitzner & N. Shadbolt, Better the devil you know: Personalized Data Controller Indicators that Expose Data Sharing in Smartphone Apps, ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems 2017, Denver, CO.
  • Binns, J. Zhao, M.Van Kleek, N. Shadbolt, I. Liccardi & D. J. Weitzner, My Bank Already Gets this Data: Exposure Minimisation and Company Relationships in Privacy Decision-Making, ACM Conference Extended Abstract on Human Factors in Computing Systems 2017, Denver, CO.
  • van Hoboken, R. Fahy, N. van Eijk, I. Liccardi & D. J. Weitzner, Transparency and Privacy in Smartphone Ecosystems: A Comparative Perspective, TILTing Perspectives Conference 2017, Tilburg University, 19 May 2017.