I am an Associate Professor in the Information School, which is part of the School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Some keywords to describe my research are: human-centered data privacy, usable privacy and security, privacy norms, sociotechnical systems.
My research focuses on human-centered aspects of data privacy. I study how people reason and make choices about data collection and inferences enabled by digital technologies, to better understand why people struggle to manage their privacy, and to discover new ways to help people gain more appropriate control over information about them.
For example, it is hard enough for end users of computing systems to be aware of the data that is collected about them, but it’s even harder to understand how that data can be used to categorize their personal characteristics or activities, to make predictions about their future behavior and interests, and to infer sensitive, private information. I’m working to discover ways to help people take back some agency over the data they provide to the apps and platforms they use, so that they will have a way to influence what these systems can do and how they affect the world.
Some things I’ve been up to recently…
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My paper Why Johnny Can’t Unsubscribe: Barriers to Stopping Unwanted Email was cited in a Wirecutter article about email unsubscribe services in January 2024.
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I started a new job as an Associate Professor in the Information School at UW-Madison in the Fall of 2023.
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I presented my paper Data Privacy and Pluralistic Ignorance at the 2023 Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS), August 7-8, 2023.
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I gave a virtual talk for Australia’s CSIRO on June 28, 2023 titled “An Argument for Limiting Collection of Data.”
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I participated in the Future of Human Centred Privacy workshop at King’s College, London on June 5-7, 2023.