Speaker:Kavous S. Niksirat

Title: Addressing Multiparty Privacy Conflicts in Social Media

Abstract: In today’s digital landscape, where internet users share an ever-increasing amount of multimedia content online, a pressing issue arises: Multiparty Privacy Conflicts (MPCs). These conflicts, stemming from sharing co-owned multimedia content without consent, can have severe privacy implications on users' lives. In my research project, I addressed this challenge by designing and evaluating innovative technological interventions. 

My approach encompassed three key phases: (i) Persuasive Technologies. I delved into the realm of persuasive technologies, specifically Dissuasive mechanisms, to understand how they can influence content uploaders toward more considerate and mindful behavior. (ii) Participatory Design. Collaborating with young MPC-experienced users, I employed a participatory design approach. Together, we explored their insights and creativity, resulting in novel and effective solutions against MPC. (iii) Conversational Agents. Recognizing the potential of conversational agents in mediating between social media users, I created the MediationBot. This chatbot mediator facilitates consent collection, enabling users to express their perspectives and propose mutually agreeable solutions. 

During my talk, I will delve into these three phases, sharing key findings and shedding light on the most impactful outcomes of my research.

Bio:  Kavous S. Niksirat is a human-computer interaction (HCI) researcher from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the University of Lausanne (UNIL). His passion is to develop user-centered solutions that protect people’s privacy online. Specifically, he specializes in using empirical HCI research methods and participatory design to address privacy issues in the context of social media and wearable technology. He always looks for new ways to innovate and improve user privacy protection. He also has research experience in digital health interventions. He is currently working on developing wearables for digital contact tracing in the context of Africa. Most recently, he has developed an interest in research transparency and ethics, exploring how these values are practiced in the field of HCI. His recent paper about transparency and ethics was recognized as the best paper award in the ACM CHI 2023. Kavous received his Ph.D. from the Kochi University of Technology (KUT) in Japan.