The RTG Privacy and Trust for Mobile Users Closing Conference, originally detailed here, brought together leading experts, researchers, and practitioners to discuss and explore the latest advancements in privacy and trust for mobile users.

DFG-funded Research Training Group “Privacy and Trust for Mobile Users” organized a closing conference from March 7-8, 2024 in Brussels thus marking the near end of the project and taking stock of its legacy and achievements.

On March 6, we kicked-off with an exciting panel “Can AI help with AI threats ” with distinguished guest from science and politics followed by a reception. On March 7 and 8, our program comprised highlights from each Privacy and Trust for Mobile Users research area, and a total of five keynote speeches with a panel discussion devoted to the topic “Are We Promoting Privacy & Trust or is Privacy & Trust Haunting Us?”.

Our social activities and breaks offered a great opportunity for informal networking and exchange of experiences. With approximately 45 people in attendance – former and current doctoral students and professors – our closing conference was very successful.

RTG 2050 Privacy and Trust for Mobile Users Closing Conference, March 6 – 8, 2024

Location: Hessische Landesvertretung, Rue Montoyer 21, Brussels

Accommodation: Moxy Brussels City Center

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

• 18.30-19.00: Welcome drinks
• 19.00-20.00: Welcoming remarks by Johannes Bade, Head of Unit Science and Research, Arts and Culture, Representation of the State of Hessen to the European UnionPanel discussion: Can AI help against AI threats?
  • Wojciech Wiewiórowski, European Data Protection Supervisor
  • Alexandra Geese, Member of the European Parliament, Digital expert and Vice-President of the Greens/EFA Group
  • Jeremy Rollison, Microsoft, Senior Director European Government Affairs
  • Prof. Dr. Max Mühlhäuser, Technical University Darmstadt

  Moderated by:

  • Silke Wettach, Journalist, Brussels
• 20.00-22.00: Reception

Thursday, March 7, 2024

• 09.00-09.30: Welcoming remarks by Johannes Bade, Head of Unit Science and Research, Arts and Culture, Representation of the State of Hessen to the European Union Presentation of the RTG Privacy and Trust for Mobile Users
• 09.30-10.30: Keynote Speech: „Cat or Dog? What PETS Are and How to Choose Them“ by Prof. Dr. Nigel Smart, KU Leuven
• 10.30-11.00: Coffee Break
• 11.00-12.00: Keynote Speech: „It’s all About Trust: The Role of Digital Ethics and Corporate Digital Responsibility in Business“ by Bartosz Przybylek, ifok GmbH
• 12.00-13.00: Lunch
• 13.00-14.30: Research Highlights (Research Area Privacy and Trust in Online Social Networks)
  • „Social Capital Accumulation Through Social Media Networks: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment and Individual-Level Panel Data“ by Prof. Dr. Oliver Hinz, Goethe University
  • „Social Media and the (Algorithmic) Quest for Trustworthiness“ by Florian Müller, University of Kassel
  • „User information leakage through sharing model parameters in federated learning“ by Dr. Aidmar Wainakh, Continental Automotive
  • „Digital Privacy Perceptions of Asylum Seekers in Germany – An Empirical Study about Smartphone Usage during the Flight“ by Enno Steinbrink, TU Darmstadt and Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter, TU Darmstadt
• 14.30-15.30: Keynote Speech: „Article 25 GDPR and PETs – extrapolating the future from a DPA’s experience“ by Dr. h.c. Marit Hansen, Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz Schleswig-Holstein
• 15.30-16.00: Coffee Break
• 16.00-17.00: Research Highlights (RTG Research Area Privacy & Trust in the Internet of Things)
  • „iPanopticon – Privacy Risks in the Apple Ecosystem and Ways to Protect Yourself“ by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Hollick, TU Darmstadt
  • „Effective Notification Campaigns on the Web: A Matter of Trust, Framing, and Support“ by Dr. Max Maass, iteratec GmbH
  • „Organizational models for intermediaries in the corporate environment“ by Helmut Lurtz, Senior Legal Counsel (Data Protection), CARIAD SE
• 17.00-18.00: Keynote Speech: „Are We Promoting Privacy & Trust or is Privacy & Trust Haunting Us?“ by Patrick Breyer, MEP, Group of the Greens/EFA GroupPanel discussion:
  • Dr. h. c. Marit Hansen
  • Prof. Dr. Angela Sasse
  • Prof. Dr. Nigel Smart
• 19.00: Dinner @WolfBrussels

Friday, March 8, 2024

• 09.00-10.00: Keynote Speech: „From ‚usable security‘ to ’security by design‘ – focus on secure routines“ by Prof. Dr. Martina Angela Sasse, Ruhr-University Bochum
• 10.00-10.30: Coffee Break
• 10.30-12.00: Research Highlights (RTG Research Area Privacy & Trust via Digital Alter Ego)
  • „Privacy Preserving and Resilient Resource Public Key Infrastructure“ by Carsten Schmidt, TU Darmstadt
  • „Future-proofing Key Exchange Protocols: Hybrids and Beyond“ by Dr. Jacqueline Brendel, TU Darmstadt
  • „Dissecting AlterEgo – New Ways of Trust Assessment“ by Dr. Ephraim Zimmer, TU Darmstadt
  • „Investigating how Users Imagine their Personal Privacy Assistant“ by Dr. Alina Stöver, TU Darmstadt
• 12.00-13.00: Lunch
• 13.00-14.30: European Parliament Visit
• 14.30-15.30: Keynote Speech: „Up the ante: Human rights and morality in the digital world“ by Prof. Dr. Vagelis Papakonstantinou, Free University of Brussels
• 15.30-16.00: Coffee Break
• 16.00-17.00: Book Launch: „Human Factors in Privacy Research“ by Dr. Nina Gerber, TU DarmstadtResearch Highlights (RTG Research Area Privacy & Trust in Online Services):
  • „Data Protection Law and Multi-Party Computation: Applications to Information Exchange between Law Enforcement Agencies“ by Dr. Dirk Müllmann, Goethe University & Dr. Amos Treiber, Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity
  • „The Impact of Human-Artificial Intelligence Collaboration on Organizational Learning“ by Patrick Hendriks, TU Darmstadt
• 17.00-17.15: Official closing

Highlight on Enno Steinbrink’s Research

Enno Steinbrink from PEASEC is a PhD candidate of the GRK. As part of the DFG Research Training Group „Privacy and Trust for Mobile Users,“ his work focuses on human-computer interaction in the context of data and privacy. With a background in psychology from the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and practical computer science from the University of Hagen, Steinbrink has also gained experience in software development and data science.

His research investigates the digital privacy perceptions of asylum seekers in Germany, particularly their use of mobile information technologies during their flight. Through qualitative interviews with 14 asylum seekers, his study reveals that while these individuals recognize the benefits of mobile technology, they are also acutely aware of risks such as surveillance and persecution. The study outlines strategies asylum seekers use to manage these risks and provides insights for designing privacy-enhancing technologies and apps tailored to their needs, ultimately aiming to improve digital privacy and trust for this vulnerable group.