Project description
Protecting privacy by understanding algorithmic personalisation
The data ecosystem threatens privacy, autonomy, and self-governance through algorithmic personalisation. Tools to audit these issues are limited, especially for ensuring privacy protections. The ERC-funded project aims to establish the mathematical foundations for studying algorithmic personalisation and auditing these systems, while protecting participant privacy. These tools could enhance data utilisation, promoting autonomy and positive social impact. The project will develop mathematical concepts to address personalisation problems, tackle algorithmic challenges in privacy-preserving audits, and incorporate relevant legal and ethical considerations. The proposal outlines a clear research strategy, with initial steps that showcase the project’s feasibility.
Objective
The structure of the current data ecosystem carries grave threats to individuals' privacy and autonomy, facilitates discrimination, promotes social fragmentation, and threatens our ability to govern ourselves. Many of these concerns stem specifically from algorithmic personalization---the practice of providing individuals with personalized opportunities, information, or experiences, on the basis of their personal data and on patterns learned from others' data. Despite the urgency of the algorithmic personalization problem, the mathematical toolkit for studying and auditing for problematic algorithmic personalization remains extremely limited---particularly if we wish to do so in a manner that provides formal privacy guarantees.
The goal of this proposal is to tackle this important problem head-on by establishing the mathematical foundations needed to study algorithmic personalization and to collectively audit personalization systems while guaranteeing privacy to participants. Such tools could transform our collective ability to make the best possible use of our data while ensuring autonomy, privacy, and overall positive social impact.
My vision focuses on three core objectives: (1) building new mathematical concepts and definitions allowing us to articulate, prioritize, and study personalization-based problems, (2) addressing the key algorithmic challenges of privacy-preserving auditing of personalization systems, and (3) integrating deep understanding of the broader legal and ethical context into our approach. For each of these components, the proposal maps out a concrete research strategy, including preliminary steps that indicate the feasibility of this groundbreaking project.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences sociology social issues social inequalities
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
91904 Jerusalem
Israel
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.