Report Algorithms of trauma: new case study shows that Facebook doesn’t give users real control over disturbing surveillance ads A case study examined by Panoptykon Foundation and showcased by the Financial Times, demonstrates how Facebook uses algorithms to deliver personalised ads that may exploit users’ mental vulnerabilities. The experiment shows that users are unable to get rid of disturbing content: disabling sensitive interests in ad settings limits targeting options for advertisers, but does not affect Facebook’s own profiling and ad delivery practices. While much has been written about the disinformation and risks to democracy generated by social media’s data-hungry algorithms, the threat to people’s mental health has not yet received enough attention. 28.09.2021 Text
other Safe by Default – Panoptykon Foundation and People vs BigTech’s Briefing Moving away from engagement-based rankings towards safe, rights-respecting, and human centric recommender systems. 05.03.2024
Report Reform of the European Personal Data Protection Law Why do we need the reform of European Personal Data Protection Law? Panoptykon Foundation prepared a publication explaining problems regarding current law and presenting solutions to those problems that should be included in new regulation on personal data protection. 02.08.2013 Text
Article Wojciech Wiewiórowski will remain DPC for the second term The current Polish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) will remain on his post for another, second term after the Polish Parliament confirmed his nomination on 25 July 2014. The decision did not come as a surprise: Wojciech Wiewiórowski was the only candidate for the post and has an excellent background for the role. Just like during the previous nomination process four years ago, EDRi member Panoptykon monitored the process, to ensure its transparency to the public. 30.07.2014 Text
Article New data protection regulation: the way ahead and possible changes, 29th Chaos Communication Congress (29C3) [VIDEO] Why do we need the data protection reform? How to protect right to personal data in new digital age? Could new, more harmonized law lead to better and more up-to-date protection? Katarzyna Szymielewicz (Panoptykon Foundation), Kirsten Fiedler (European Digital Rights) and Jan Albrecht (member of the European Parliament) discuss main problematic issues in current data protection framework (based on data protection directive from 1995) and solutions proposed by civil society and European Commission for the new regulation. 27.12.2012 Text