Projects
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Information Law and the Digital Transformation of the University: Navigating Digital Sovereignty, Data Governance, and Access to Research Data
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Empowering Academia through Law: Transparency Rights as Enablers for Research in a Black Box Society
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RPA Human(e) AI: Towards Human(e) AI
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Information, Communication & the Data Society (ICDS)
Activities
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Workshop on “An EU copyright & data legislative framework fit for research: barriers, challenges and potential measures”
European Commission, Brussels
23-02-2023
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‘We moeten sociale media dwingen transparant te zijn’
Interview NRC.
25-06-2020
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Privacy not a blocker for ‘meaningful’ research access to platform data, says report
TechCrunch
25-06-2020
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2019 Annual Privacy Law Scholars Conference (PLSC 2019)
30-05-2019
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Privacy achterhaald: eigen schuld?
28-01-2019
Jef Ausloos
- : Jef
Jef Ausloos is an assistant professor at the Institute for Information Law and a research fellow at the University of Leuven (Centre for IT & IP Law). His work centres around several information law issues, and in particular data protection, data rights, transparency, and governance of digital infrastructures.
Jef obtained his PhD on data rights in the GDPR at the university of Leuven in 2018. Immediately after his PhD, Jef started at the University of Amsterdam, working on the theoretical and practical dimensions of data rights as well as broader data governance questions. Since 2021, after obtaining a Veni grant, he primarily focuses on the role of the law in operationalising meaningful transparency of (private) digital infrastructures. Jef is one of the founding steering committee members of the data protection scholars network and is part of several committees and advisory boards in civil society and academia.
Publications
| Ausloos, J., Helberger, N., Seipp, T., Vreese, C.H. de In: Digital Journalism, 2023. @article{nokey,The platformised news environment affects audiences, challenges the news media’s role, and transforms the media ecosystem. Digital platform companies influence opinion formation and hence wield “opinion power,” a normatively and constitutionally rooted notion that captures the core of media power in democracy and substantiates why that power must be distributed. Media concentration law is the traditional tool to prevent predominant opinion power from emerging but is, in its current form, not applicable to the platform context. We demonstrate how the nature of opinion power is changing and shifting from news media to platforms and distinguish three levels of opinion power: (1) the individual citizen, (2) the institutional newsroom and (3) the media ecosystem. The reconceptualization at the three levels provides a framework to develop future (non-)regulatory responses that address (1) the shifting influence over individual news consumption and exposure, (2) the changing power dynamics within automated, datafied and platform-dependent newsrooms, and (3) the systemic power of platforms and structural dependencies in the media ecosystem. We demonstrate that as the nature of opinion power is changing, so must the tools of control. |
| Ausloos, J., Delacroix, S., Giannopoulou, A., Janssen, H. Intermediating data rights exercises: the role of legal mandates In: International Data Privacy Law, vol. 12, iss. 4, pp. 316-331, 2022. @article{nokey,Data subject rights constitute critical tools for empowerment in the digitized society. There is a growing trend of relying on third parties to facilitate or coordinate the collective exercises of data rights, on behalf of one or more data subjects. This contribution refers to these parties as ‘Data Rights Intermediaries’ (DRIs), ie where an ‘intermediating’ party facilitates or enables the collective exercise of data rights. The exercise of data rights by these DRIs on behalf of the data subjects can only be effectuated with the help of mandates. Data rights mandates are not expressly framed in the GDPR their delineation can be ambiguous. It is important to highlight that data rights are mandatable and this without affecting their inalienability in light of their fundamental rights’ nature. This article argues that contract law and fiduciary duties both have longstanding traditions and robust norms in many jurisdictions, all of which can be explored towards shaping the appropriate environment to regulate data rights mandates in particular. The article concludes that the key in unlocking the full potential of data rights mandates can already be found in existing civil law constructs, whose diversity reveals the need for solidifying the responsibility and accountability of mandated DRIs. The continued adherence to fundamental contract law principles will have to be complemented by a robust framework of institutional safeguards. The need for such safeguards stems from the vulnerable position of data subjects, both vis-à-vis DRIs as well as data controllers. |
| European Data Protection Scholars Network 2022. @misc{Network2022,This study examines current Data Protection Authorities' (DPA) practices related to their obligation to facilitate the submission of complaints, granting special attention to the connection between this obligation and the right to an effective judicial remedy against DPAs. It combines legal analysis and the observation of DPA websites, together with insights obtained from the online public register of decisions adopted under the ʻone-stop-shopʼ mechanism. This study was commissioned by Access Now. |
| Ausloos, J., Helmond, A., Quintais, J., Schumacher, L.D., Senftleben, M., van Gompel, S., van Hoboken, J. 2021, (Onderzoek in opdracht van het Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek- en Documentatiecentrum (WODC), 20 september 2021, WODC rapport 3142.). @techreport{nokey,Aan het volgende onderzoeksrapport ligt de doelstelling ten grondslag om te inventariseren wat juridisch, beleidsmatig en technisch nodig is om webharvesting mogelijk te maken, onder meer in de vorm van een zogenaamde nationale “domeincrawl”: het systematische kopiëren en archiveren van webpagina’s die een afspiegeling vormen van de Nederlandse sociale, culturele, economische, juridische, politieke en wetenschappelijke geschiedenis online. |
| Ausloos, J., Loos, M., Mak, C., Pol, L., Reinhartz, B., Schumacher, L.D., van Eechoud, M. Data na de dood - juridische aspecten van digitale nalatenschappen 2021, (Onderzoek in opdracht van het Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties, April 2021, Bijlage bij Kamerstuk 2020-2021, 30696 nr. 52. Auteurs: M.M.M. van Eechoud, J. Ausloos, M. Loos, C. Mak, B. Reinhartz, L. Schumacher & L. Pol.). @techreport{vanEechoud2021bb,Jaarlijks overlijden ruim 150.000 mensen en worden er dus ook ongeveer evenveel nalatenschappen afgewikkeld. Vrijwel zonder uitzondering laten overledenen digitale ‘bezittingen’ achter, zoals sociale media-accounts, e-mails, documenten opgeslagen in de cloud en (gebruiksrechten op) allerlei media en entertainment. De vraag is of het huidige Nederlandse wettelijk kader voldoende handvatten biedt om de bij afwikkeling van digitale nalatenschappen gemoeide private en publieke belangen te behartigen. De centrale onderzoeksvraag van deze studie is: Welke eventuele aanpassingen van het Nederlandse wettelijke kader zijn wenselijk met het oog op de adequate bescherming van private en publieke belangen gemoeid met het regelen en afwikkelen van digitale nalatenschappen? Voor de beantwoording van deze vraag is om te beginnen een analyse gedaan van het beleid van aanbieders van veelgebruikte informatiediensten rond overlijden, en van de relevante voorwaarden die zij hanteren. Bronnen voor de analyse zijn gebruikersovereenkomsten, algemene voorwaarden, privacy policies en andere (openbare) documenten zoals FAQ’s. Informatiediensten aanbieders zijn onderscheiden in digitale mediadiensten (commercieel aanbod zoals streaming video of -muziek), communicatiediensten (waaronder sociale media en berichtendiensten) en ICT-diensten (o.a. cloudopslag en digitale kluizen). Vervolgens is het relevante wettelijke kader beschreven en zijn onduidelijkheden daarin geïdentificeerd. Naast het erfrecht, betreft dit het overeenkomstenrecht en dan in het bijzonder consumentenrecht, intellectuele eigendomsrechten (met name auteursrecht), persoonlijkheidsrechten en gegevensbeschermingsrecht (Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming). Ook het algemene vermogensrecht is van belang, voor zover betrekking hebbend op de vraag welk digitaal ‘bezit’ in de nalatenschap valt. Tot slot is met het oog op het formuleren van oplossingsrichtingen, naar een selectie van wetgeving in andere landen gekeken. |
| Ausloos, J., Sax, M. In: Interactive Entertainment Law Review, vol. 4, no. 1, 2021. @article{SaxAusloos2021,This paper investigates the ethical and legal implications of increasingly manipulative practices in the gaming industry by looking at one of the currently most popular and profitable video games in the world. Fortnite has morphed from an online game into a quasi-social network and an important cultural reference point in the lifeworld of many (young) people. The game is also emblematic of the freemium business model, with strong incentives to design the game in a manner which maximises microtransactions. This article suggests that to properly understand Fortnite’s practices – which we predict will become more widely adopted in the video game industry in the near future – we need an additional perspective. Fortnite is not only designed for hyper-engagement; its search for continued growth and sustained relevance is driving its transformation from being a mere video game into a content delivery platform. This means that third parties can offer non game-related services to players within Fortnite’s immersive game experience. In this paper, we draw on an ethical theory of manipulation (which defines manipulation as an ethically problematic influence on a person’s behaviour) to explore whether the gaming experience offered by Fortnite harbours manipulative potential. To legally address the manipulative potential of commercial video game practices such as the ones found in Fortnite, we turn to European data protection and consumer protection law. More specifically, we explore how the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and Unfair Commercial Practices Directive can provide regulators with tools to address Fortnite’s manipulative potential and to make Fortnite (more) forthright. |
| Appelman, N., Ausloos, J., Drunen, M. van, Helberger, N. 2020. @techreport{Drunen2020b, |
| Ausloos, J., Leerssen, P., Menezes Cwajg, C. Transparency Rules in Online Political Advertising: Mapping Global Law and Policy 2020, (This report has been prepared by Carolina Menezes Cwajg. It was written under the academic guidance of Dr. Jef Ausloos and Paddy Leerssen, at IViR and the Information, Communication & the Data Society (ICDS) Initiative at the University of Amsterdam.). @techreport{Cwajg2020,In response to the rise of online political microtargeting, governments across the globe are launching transparency initiatives. Most of these aim to shed light on who is buying targeted political ads, and how they are targeted. The present Report offers a comprehensive mapping exercise of this new field of regulation, analysing new laws, proposed or enacted, that impose transparency rules on online political microtargeting. The Report consists of two components: a global overview, and detailed case study of the United States. The first section begins with a geographical overview by showing where and what initiatives were proposed and enacted, looking in particular at Canada, France, Ireland, Singapore and the United States. It then unpacks these initiatives in greater detail by outlining what requirements they impose in terms of disclosure content, scope of application, and format. The second section of the Report then zooms into the United States, outlining the various initiatives that have been proposed and enacted at state-level. |
| Ausloos, J., Helberger, N., Strycharz, J. Data Protection or Data Frustration? Individual perceptions and attitudes towards the GDPR In: European Data Protection Law Review, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 407-421, 2020. @article{Strycharz2020,Strengthening individual rights, enhancing control over one’s data and raising awareness were among the main aims the European Commission set for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In order to assess whether these aims have been met, research into individual perceptions, awareness, and understanding of the Regulation is necessary. This study thus examines individual reactions to the GDPR in order to provide insights into user agency in relation to the Regulation. More specifically, it discusses empirical data (survey with N = 1288) on individual knowledge of, reactions to, and rights exercised under the GDPR in the Netherlands. The results show high awareness of the GDPR and knowledge of individual rights. At the same time, the Dutch show substantial reactance to the Regulation and doubt the effectiveness of their individual rights. These findings point to several issues obstructing the GDPR’s effectiveness, and constitute useful signposts for policy-makers and enforcement agencies to prioritise their strategies in achieving the original aims of the Regulation. |
| Ausloos, J., Mahieu, R. Harnessing the collective potential of GDPR access rights: towards an ecology of transparency In: Internet Policy Review, 2020, (Opinion). @article{Mahieu2020,The GDPR’s goal of empowering citizens can only be fully realised when the collective dimensions of data subject rights are acknowledged and supported through proper enforcement. The power of the collective use of data subjects’ rights, however, is currently neither acknowledged nor properly enforced. This is the message we sent to the European Commission in response to its call for feedback for its two-year review of the GDPR. In our submission entitled Recognising and Enabling the Collective Dimension of the GDPR and the Right of Access – A call to support the governance structure of checks and balances for informational power asymmetries, we demonstrate the collective potential of GDPR access rights with a long list of real-life examples. |
| Ausloos, J., Leerssen, P., Thije, P. ten Operationalizing Research Access in Platform Governance: What to learn from other industries? 2020. @techreport{Ausloos2020b,A new study published by AlgorithmWatch, in cooperation with the European Policy Centre and the University of Amsterdam’s Institute for Information Law, shows that the GDPR needn’t stand in the way of meaningful research access to platform data; looks to health and environmental sectors for best practices in privacy-respecting data sharing frameworks. |
| Ausloos, J. Technologiereuzen moeten zeggen hoe ze ons gedrag bepalen en zo dwingen we dat af In: 2020, (Opinie). @article{Ausloos2020c,Vandaag verschijnt een rapport met aanbevelingen voor de Europese Commissie. Dat zet uiteen hoe onlineplatformen verplicht kunnen worden om aan bepaalde transparantie-eisen te voldoen. Jef Ausloos is hoofdauteur van het rapport en bepleit waarom zo'n kader nodig is. "Transparantie is van cruciaal belang om donkere kantjes in kaart te brengen, zodat we collectief kunnen bepalen waar en hoe we de groeiende macht van onlineplatformen moeten inperken." |
| Ausloos, J., Mahieu, R., Veale, M. In: JIPITEC, vol. 10, no. 3, 2019. @article{Ausloos2020,We are a group of academics active in research and practice around data rights. We believe that the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) guidance on data rights currently under development is an important point to resolve a variety of tensions and grey areas which, if left unaddressed, may significantly undermine the fundamental right to data protection. All of us were present at the recent stakeholder event on data rights in Brussels on 4 November 2019, and it is in the context and spirit of stakeholder engagement that we have created this document to explore and provide recommendations and examples in this area. This document is based on comprehensive empirical evidence as well as CJEU case law, EDPB (and, previously, Article 29 Working Party) guidance and extensive scientific research into the scope, rationale, effects and general modalities of data rights. |
| Ausloos, J., Helberger, N., Leerssen, P., Vreese, C.H. de, Zarouali, B. Platform ad archives: promises and pitfalls In: Internet Policy Review, vol. 8, no. 4, 2019. @article{Leerssen2019b,This paper discusses the new phenomenon of platform ad archives. Over the past year, leading social media platforms have installed publicly accessible databases documenting their political advertisements, and several countries have moved to regulate them. If designed and implemented properly, ad archives can correct for structural informational asymmetries in the online advertising industry, and thereby improve accountability through litigation and through publicity. However, present implementations leave much to be desired. We discuss key criticisms, suggest several improvements and identify areas for future research and debate. |