Openness for privacy: applying open approaches to personal data challenges

Abstract

This thesis comprises three papers undertaken as part of a PhD by publication or 'Three-Paper PhD', in addition to an introduction and conclusion. The introduction outlines the concept of Openness for Privacy, which describes a class of technological, social and policy approaches for addressing the challenges of personal data. Various manifestations of this concept are investigated in the three papers. The first paper explores the idea of 'open data for privacy', in particular the potential of machine-readable privacy notices to provide transparency and insight into organisations' uses of personal data. It provides an empirical overview of UK organisations' personal data practices. The second paper examines services which give individuals transparency and control over their digital profiles, assessing the potential benefits to industry, and the empowering potential for individuals. The first part is a user study, which tests how consumer responses to personalised targeting are affected by the degree of transparency and control they have over their profiles, with implications for digital marketing and advertising. The second part draws from qualitative data, and theoretical perspectives, to develop an account of the empowering potential of these services. The third paper concerns Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs), a regulatory tool included in the European Union's proposed general data protection regulation reform. It assesses the potential of PIAs through concepts from regulatory theory, namely, meta-regulation and the open corporation, and outlines implications for regulators, civil society and industry.

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