Protecting Privacy Through Digital Data Sovereignty

As the digital world becomes more connected, decisions about how to handle private information (such as photos, behavior, or location) are becoming more frequent and complex. In addition, the interconnectedness of personal devices means that such decisions can have an impact not only one’s own privacy, but also on the privacy of others. Deciding to exchange contact information with online services is just one example.

While large enterprises are already trading customer data as digital currency, end users are often making their decisions without much thought as they go about their daily lives. End users usually lack the background knowledge to assess the potential consequences. This creates a dangerous foundation for user privacy.

The project Visualization-based Technologies as Enablers for Privacy Sovereignty Online (PriVis) aims to support users of digital services in protecting their privacy in the digital environment. Transparency-enhancing visualizations can give users the information they need about how their data is being used by the service provider. This enables informed decision-making and keeps users in full control of their sensitive data.

While the visualizations we have developed primarily support users in protecting and enforcing their privacy, they also represent an interesting technology for service providers. By making our solutions available to their end users, service providers can build trust with their customers and foster long-term, stable customer relationships.