Consumers using smartphones and tablet computers often lack reliable information on how to prevent the abuse of their personal data. In principle mobile operating systems do name respective access rights of individual apps. However, there is no precise and transparent information about the actual data use of apps. For consumers it is almost impossible to control whether a specific app acts lawfully or is in accordance with individual users’ preferences. PGuard therefore strives to research fundamental approaches for a future app and website that grants consumers assistance to decide whether to install or uninstall single apps.
Hereby PGuard addresses explicit needs of consumers, who are expressly worried about their privacy. More than 60% consider an illegal sale of personal data to third parties as a high risk, whereas still 44% fear surveillance and espionage. Such worries seem to be justified taking into account findings of a recent survey published by Stiftung Warentest: a significant number of apps accessed more personal data than necessary and forwarded data to third parties without users’ consent. The research consortium led by SRIW strives to develop technical means to improve the transparency of apps’ data flows and thereby empower consumers to protect themselves more effectively. This includes a semi-automatic analysis of app providers’ privacy policies.
PGuard is executed by the following institutions:
Selbstregulierung Informationswirtschaft e.V.
mediaTest digital GmbH
Quadriga Hochschule Berlin GmbH
Institut für Angewandte Informatik e.V.
News shared by Patrick von Braunmühl, Managing Director, Selbstregulierung Informationswirtschaft e.V. (SRIW)