On 15 February, Frederik Zuiderveen Borgesius, iHub’s professor ICT and Law, addresses the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The OHCHR organises an expert consultation on human rights and technical standard-setting processes for new and emerging digital technologies.

Alderman Tobias van Elferen will visit iHub. Van Elferen is responsible within the municipality Nijmegen for finances, sustainability, cultural heritage, staff and organization, and most important: digitalization and IT. This meeting will serve as getting to know each other, and talk about possible further collaborations (e.g., the municipality uses IRMA already) between iHub and the municipality Nijmegen.

iHub wishes all her colleagues, collaborators, and everyone else a joyous Christmas filled with love, happiness, and prosperity!

Equinet is the European Network of Equality Bodies, and brings together 46 organizations from 34 European countries, which are empowered to counteract discrimination. Equinet interviewed Professor Frederik Zuiderveen Borgesius and published the video. The topic: the current state of play regarding where and how AI technologies are being used in Europe, and what the impacts are on equality.

Utrecht University organized a workshop on dark patterns: "Future Proof Methods for Measuring and Detecting Dark Patterns". As a panel member, Gunes Acar engaged in multiple discussions during the workshop, together with other big names in the dark patterns field, such as Colin M. Gray.

In collaboration with the Radboud University Network on Migrant Inclusion (RUNOMI), iHub is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work on discrimination risks generated by the use of AI in the context of immigration.

Professor Frederik Zuiderveen Borgesius gave his inaugural lecture on 28 September: ’Digitale discriminatie en differentiatie: het recht is er nog niet klaar voor’ (Translated: Digital discrimination and differentiation: the law isn’t ready for this). Once more: congratulations!

Two PhD project proposals have been selected out of 10 submissions received for the IMR-iHub call focusing on ‘Responsible governing in a digital age’.

FINDHR, a research project aimed at preventing, detecting and mitigating discrimination in algorithmic hiring.

This year’s Ammodo Science Award for Groundbreaking Research in the domain of Humanities was awarded to iHub! We received the award for our research into the impact of digitalisation on public values. We are extremely happy that our teamwork is awarded in this way.

A USENIX Security paper by Asuman Senol (KU Leuven), Gunes Acar (iHub), Mathias Humbert (University of Lausanne) and Frederik Zuiderveen Borgesius (iHub) showed how users’ email addresses and passwords are collected on thousands of websites for tracking purposes without users consent and knowledge. The study was covered by Wired and NOS.

We are happy to launch the Sphere Transgression Watch. The STW is a digital tool that tracks and visualizes the growing presence of Big Tech in different sectors – or spheres – of society, such as health, education, news provision and public policy.

At our iLab we are looking for two software developers that want to work on prototypes that take public values into account. There are two project you can work on: (1) PubHubs, funded by NWO, and (2) multiple projects, e.g. privacy impact of mental health apps, funeded by ERC. Deadline is 3 April, 2022.

The central themes of iHub and the Institute for Management Research research allow for many interesting collaboration opportunities and together provide an answer to the question: What does responsible governance in a digital age look like?

iHub member Pieter Wolters was interviewed by television show Radar about the privacy risks of not using cash anymore.

Starting 1 Augustus 2021, iHub member Tamar Sharon has been appointed professor of Philosophy, digitalization and society at the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies. Her research explores how the increasing digitalization of society destabilizes public values and norms, and how best to protect them.

Our iHub member Bernard van Gastel was a guest in the Dutch science TV show Atlas to talk about the CoronaCheck QR-codes and what the problems with interfacing between the digital and analog world are.

Professor Bart Jacobs receives the Stevin Prize from NWO. The Stevin Prize primarily honours the societal impact. Jacobs will receive 2.5 million euros, which he can spend on scientific research and activities related to knowledge utilisation.

Lotje Siffels presented an analysis of the debate on the Corona app melder, March 29.

This fall, the book of iHub member Jaap-Henk Hoepman on "Privacy Is Hard and Seven Other Myths. Achieving Privacy through Careful Design" will appear at MIT Press.

Tamar Sharon presented her views on the value of health vis-à-vis other values such as autonomy, justice and public interest in the Els Borst lecture (25 November).

The prof. mr. Tijn Kortmannprice 2020 was awarded to our member Minke Reijneveld for her essay on protecting personal data during bankruptcy.