What is Privacy by Design? Explainer What is Privacy by Design? How address the evolving challenges to privacy as a fundamental right in our increasingly digital and networked world, amidst growing concerns over data breaches and surveillance? What challenges does privacy face today? By Simone Fischer-Hübner
What is data stewardship, and how could it address questions of power imbalance in the data economy? Backgrounder Data stewardship describes a set of governance mechanisms that allow individuals and communities greater agency over their information. How can data stewardship models address questions of power imbalance in the data economy? By Anouk Ruhaak and Astha Kapoor
Containing authoritarianism in the digital age: Platform governance in view of Germany’s constitutional order Spotlight Combating authoritarian overreach and protecting minority rights without turning autocratic is a perennial challenge for democracies, now intensified by the threat of digital authoritarianism. By Martin Fertmann and Jan Rau
AI-based Defense Systems – How to Design them Responsibly? Spotlight To safeguard personal freedom and the rule of law, democracies must adapt to "fight at machine speed" when necessary. This means digitization in defense should extend beyond logistics and surveillance to include responsible weapons engagement. By Wolfgang Koch
What are Data Intermediaries? Explainer Based on the data they collect, platforms are able to target personalized content at the user level. What are the collective aspects of personalization on media platforms? How do they affect our privacy? By Ayelet Gordon-Tapiero
Trends in Privacy Enforcement: A Comparative Analysis of post-GDPR Enforcement Styles Spotlight This analysis aims to capture and cluster different post-GDPR enforcement styles by DPAs across the EU to better understand why enforcement over data protection issues vary across borders. By Ido Sivan-Sevilla
The Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in the EU Backgrounder AI regulation is a debated intensively worldwide, with new laws in countries like France, Germany, China, and Canada, and ongoing debates in the US and Brazil. The following backgrounder explains the key issues at stake. By Christian Djeffal
“Legal tools to suppress disinformation can do more harm than good” Interview A conversation with Dr. Henning Lahmann about disinformation, free speech and the potential opportunities and pitfalls of legal tools in addressing the challenges to democracy in the digital age.
"Disinformation becomes detrimental to democracy if political elites employ it deliberately and strategically" Interview A conversation with Alexander Sängerlaub about the digital transformation of the public sphere, its consequences for democracy and the role of education and media literacy in fostering democratic resilience in the digital age.
Export Control of Surveillance Software from Germany and Europe - Regulations, Limits and Weaknesses Explainer The regulation of the export of surveillance technology and services in the EU leaves many loopholes for its circumvention. The upcoming revisited EU export control regime is trying to close these loopholes, but many issues remain, which the present contribution aims to address. By Thomas Reinhold