Quarterly News

Dear friends and fellow researchers,

We are delighted to announce a significant milestone in the future of digitalisation research at our institute! Over the next four years, HIIG will receive support from three renowned German foundations: the Joachim Herz Foundation, the Mercator Foundation and the Science and Democracy Foundation. With this strong backing, we will be realigning our research agenda in the coming months. This strategic shift will deepen our interdisciplinary approach and dialogue across academia, politics and civil society. We would like to express our gratitude to our funding partners for their trust in our work!

While we begin writing the next chapter in our institute’s history, we invite you to explore this issue’s highlights from our research projects, publications and events.

Stay tuned for what’s next,
Jeanette Hofmann · Björn Scheuermann · Thomas Schildhauer · Wolfgang Schulz

Research and activities

Research lead: Democratic Change and Knowledge

We are currently seeking a postdoctoral researcher to lead, design and supervise the new research focus area of Democratic Change and Knowledge. This is an exceptional opportunity to shape pioneering research exploring the urgent challenges facing democracy in the digital age. The position offers a unique combination of academic freedom, interdisciplinary collaboration and societal impact.

Senior researcher: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Society

Next up: For the coordination of our new research area of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Society, we are also looking for a postdoctoral researcher. The role involves strengthening and rethinking social innovation and the creative drive of entrepreneurship. Especially in the interplay between digital transformation, social responsibility and political framework conditions.

Online course: Social polarisation and what to do about it

Have you ever wondered why societies are being driven apart and how to deal with it in practice? If so, check out the online course from the Action for Interactive Anti-Polarisation Learning Experiences for a Better Democracy project. It equips students and a broader audience with the skills needed to understand polarisation processes and to build trust and cohesion.

Project completed: Obstacles to Diamond Open Access

Our ELADOAH project has investigated how Diamond Open Access in Germany can be organised in the long term. One outcome is a blueprint for a collaborative vision of this model of scientific publishing for all stakeholders. These include libraries, journals, publishers, open access initiatives and projects, research funding bodies and professional associations.

Publications

From consent to control: An on/off switch for personalised content

A new article in Computer Law & Security Review addresses the question of how to achieve effective user control and feedback mechanisms to enable users to opt in or out of tracking and personalisation. It presents an on/off switch prototype for personalised content that is compliant with the data-protection-by-design requirement in Art. 25 sect. 1 of the GDPR.

Data-driven projects: Ambiguities of participation

How is participation organised in data-driven projects? A new systematic literature review in Data & Policy analysed 27 cases and identified three typical project structures of participatory data-driven projects: participation in governance; participation in resources and labour; and a combination of both. The article discusses how to mitigate ambiguities arising from the combination of different project types.

Zine on platform regulation: Digital Services Act

Are you aware of the reasons behind the EU's regulation of major online platforms and how this affects you as a user? Our DSA Research Network has created an accessible zine introducing the Digital Services Act. Read it to learn how the DSA strengthens user rights, what obligations platforms have when dealing with harmful content and how you can take action when you encounter disinformation.

HIIG BOOKSHELF · Other worthwhile publications

Events

Workshop: Hostility in science communication

The final train-the-trainer programme within the Capacities and Competencies in Dealing with Hate Speech and Hostility towards Science (KAPAZ) project will bring together communication leads, press officers and research managers. It provides actionable strategies to support researchers effectively while mitigating risks – ranging from hate speech and trolling to physical threats.

Workshop: Privacy, data protection and surveillance

The workshop series is marking a milestone – it’s taking place for the twentieth time. And we want to celebrate it! Early-career researchers are invited to present and discuss their current research on topics related to privacy, surveillance and data protection. We welcome projects in the form of articles or dissertations as well as theoretical and empirical research and proposed solutions from all disciplines.

Launch: Consenter browser extension

How can we improve the ineffective system of cookie banners and informed consent? At this event, our researcher Maximilian von Grafenstein will present Consenter — a browser extension that gives users back control over their personal data and makes it clear who is collecting information and why. It is the result of interdisciplinary research in close collaboration with a team of designers and developers.

Beyond HIIG · Events that caught our eye

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Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft (HIIG)
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