Citizen Scientists Investigating Cookies and App GDPR compliance (CSI-COP)
Funder
Horizon 2020 SwafS15-2019
Total value of project
€1,999,143,75
Value to Coventry University
€ 529 120,00
Project team
Dr. Huma Shah, Co-I/Director of Science and Professor Ian Marshall
Collaborators
Coventry University lead an 10-partner international team, see CSI-COP website and EU Cordis page.
Duration of project
1 January 2021 - 31 August 2023
Project overview
CSI-COP involves citizen scientists to co-investigate the extent of online tracking through exploring cookies in websites and apps on mobile devices.
Project objectives
CSI-COP has six specific objectives (SO):
SO1: Setting-up the CSI-COP project and citizen science initiative (completed).
SO2: Engage citizen scientists to investigate compliance of the GDPR (ongoing).
SO3: Co-create a taxonomy of digital behaviour trackers: classify the different types of trackers in websites and in Android apps and who the trackers are from (e.g. a big tech company, a social media owner).
SO4: Create an open-access repository of trackers (searchable knowledge base).
SO5: Co-creating additional pro-privacy policies with the EU and international stakeholders so that data protection regulations are made easy to comply with.
SO6: Influencing Stakeholders to adopt a privacy-by-default, no-tracking policy across the digital space.
Impact statement
CSI-COP has already impacted the design of Coventry University's website by making it more compliant with data protection regulations by removal of the cookie wall and tracking by default present before May 2021.
Outputs
All reports are accessible from the project website.
- Policy Brief 1
- Framework for citizen science engagement
- Guidelines for Diverse citizen science recruitment
- Current methods in citizen science engagement.
