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Citizen Scientists Investigating Cookies and App GDPR compliance  (CSI-COP)

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.

  1. Policy Brief 1
  2. Framework for citizen science engagement
  3. Guidelines for Diverse citizen science recruitment
  4. Current methods in citizen science engagement. 

CSI-COP Logo

 Queen’s Award for Enterprise Logo
University of the year shortlisted
QS Five Star Rating 2023