Enabling and encouraging reflection on post-mortem privacy and digital legacy planning
Lead Research Organisation:
Newcastle University
Department Name: Sch of Computing
Abstract
Overview
As data-driven technologies develop and online services become an increasingly essential element of modern life, there arises a question of how such data and accounts are handled after death. Although this problem has long been acknowledged, it is frequently the case that neither organisations nor individuals are sufficiently prepared to manage such transitions, and important data or account privileges become inaccessible or lost entirely on an individual's death. At the same time, efforts to access such data or accounts without the advance permission of the decedent have the potential to be invasive of their privacy. Despite numerous attempts to develop bespoke tools for the recording and execution of one's wishes in this respect, such technology faces a range of technical and legal challenges and, ultimately, very poor adoption rates.
The goal of my proposed PhD research is to make steps towards wider consideration and implementation of digital legacy support tools, with increased awareness and discussion around post-mortem privacy among both the general public and developers of technological solutions. The work will encompass consideration of complex issues for individuals wishing to leave a controlled legacy, families and friends wishing to access or make sense of digital assets controlled by deceased loved ones, and regulation and control of post-mortem digital asset transfer by governmental or corporate entities. Across the elements of my proposed PhD, I hope to work towards heightened control over digital legacy, improved wellbeing for those at end-of-life or suffering bereavement, and the furtherance of privacy and post-mortem privacy awareness.
Research questions
1. How can current and widely available technologies be used by ordinary citizens to exert control over their digital legacy and post-mortem privacy?
2. In which ways are current technologies insufficient for control over digital legacy and post-mortem privacy?
3. How can technology addressing digital legacy and post-mortem data privacy be designed to be compatible with good cybersecurity practices?
4. How can technology addressing digital legacy and post-mortem data privacy be designed to account for differences in culture, beliefs and legislation?
Methodology
The first stage of my proposed PhD is a set of review activities. These will include a review of policies and terms of service of major online services, in order to understand and collate the current stance on access and rights to data after death; a review of digital legacy functionality offered by different existing software tools, especially identity management systems such as password managers; and a review of different academic perspectives and theory, including human-computer interaction (HCI), cybersecurity, law, psychology and sociology.
I will conduct various outreach activities, in which public sessions will be run in order to disseminate information and tools to the wider public, helping to promote consideration of the value of digital legacy planning for one's own privacy and for the benefit of family and friends. In running such sessions, I hope to develop an understanding of some of the important factors that need to be addressed in the development of digital legacy technology.
I will run a variety of design activities, with the general public as well as specialists from relevant fields such as computing, palliative care and estate law. Through these activities I will identify specific application areas within the broader set of digital legacy and post-mortem privacy issues that can be enhanced through technology development. I will aim to produce a working technological prototype (or extend an existing tool) that addresses the identified problems. Once a suitable technology design or prototype has been created, I will work with appropriate stakeholders to evaluate and iterate on the design.
As data-driven technologies develop and online services become an increasingly essential element of modern life, there arises a question of how such data and accounts are handled after death. Although this problem has long been acknowledged, it is frequently the case that neither organisations nor individuals are sufficiently prepared to manage such transitions, and important data or account privileges become inaccessible or lost entirely on an individual's death. At the same time, efforts to access such data or accounts without the advance permission of the decedent have the potential to be invasive of their privacy. Despite numerous attempts to develop bespoke tools for the recording and execution of one's wishes in this respect, such technology faces a range of technical and legal challenges and, ultimately, very poor adoption rates.
The goal of my proposed PhD research is to make steps towards wider consideration and implementation of digital legacy support tools, with increased awareness and discussion around post-mortem privacy among both the general public and developers of technological solutions. The work will encompass consideration of complex issues for individuals wishing to leave a controlled legacy, families and friends wishing to access or make sense of digital assets controlled by deceased loved ones, and regulation and control of post-mortem digital asset transfer by governmental or corporate entities. Across the elements of my proposed PhD, I hope to work towards heightened control over digital legacy, improved wellbeing for those at end-of-life or suffering bereavement, and the furtherance of privacy and post-mortem privacy awareness.
Research questions
1. How can current and widely available technologies be used by ordinary citizens to exert control over their digital legacy and post-mortem privacy?
2. In which ways are current technologies insufficient for control over digital legacy and post-mortem privacy?
3. How can technology addressing digital legacy and post-mortem data privacy be designed to be compatible with good cybersecurity practices?
4. How can technology addressing digital legacy and post-mortem data privacy be designed to account for differences in culture, beliefs and legislation?
Methodology
The first stage of my proposed PhD is a set of review activities. These will include a review of policies and terms of service of major online services, in order to understand and collate the current stance on access and rights to data after death; a review of digital legacy functionality offered by different existing software tools, especially identity management systems such as password managers; and a review of different academic perspectives and theory, including human-computer interaction (HCI), cybersecurity, law, psychology and sociology.
I will conduct various outreach activities, in which public sessions will be run in order to disseminate information and tools to the wider public, helping to promote consideration of the value of digital legacy planning for one's own privacy and for the benefit of family and friends. In running such sessions, I hope to develop an understanding of some of the important factors that need to be addressed in the development of digital legacy technology.
I will run a variety of design activities, with the general public as well as specialists from relevant fields such as computing, palliative care and estate law. Through these activities I will identify specific application areas within the broader set of digital legacy and post-mortem privacy issues that can be enhanced through technology development. I will aim to produce a working technological prototype (or extend an existing tool) that addresses the identified problems. Once a suitable technology design or prototype has been created, I will work with appropriate stakeholders to evaluate and iterate on the design.
Planned Impact
The proposed CDT for Digital Civics aims to develop a cohort of 60+ students engaged in theorising, designing, developing, and evaluating personal & community-based digital technologies to explore and create forms of civic engagement that support local communities, local service provision, and local democracy. The CDT will work directly with several local authorities (in the Northeast of England), a variety of SMEs and NGOs and some larger international corporations. As such there are various potential beneficiaries of the CDT.
Firstly, there are the students themselves who will graduate as highly skilled academic and applied researchers - well-versed in interdisciplinary collaboration and trained to transfer, leverage and exploit the insight generated from their research and who are able to contribute to the economic and social development of the UK.
The research they will conduct will be focused on supporting local communities, and given the aim to enhance public service provision and support engagement in local issues. It is likely that their research will enhance quality of life, health and wellbeing in these areas, improve social welfare and social cohesion in the participating communities and generally increase public awareness of social and economic issues that are likely to be affecting these research participants, and this will be done at various levels from older adults through to school-aged communities.
The research is also intended to have impact at a Government level, and through our direct collaboration with our participating local authority partners student research projects will directly influence policy making at local, regional and national levels. Case-based research will transform evidence-based policy, and provide evidence to support changing organisational cultures and practices (for example enhancing the role of public participation in local governance) and through shaping and enhancing the effectiveness of public services, by directly designing and developing digital augmentations. As such the research projects directly intend to enhance the efficiency, performance and sustainability of public services through the user-centred development of new digital technologies and the promotion of local activism and civic engagement.
Another significant impact of the CDT will be the development and training of skilled people in non-academic professions through the development and open-sourcing of learning materials, which aim to transfer research insight (including skills and processes as much as research 'findings') to non-academic organisations, such as SMEs, NGOs and larger corporations (sourced through our broad partner network). These SMEs, NGOs and corporations (alongside the doctoral students themselves) are also likely to be commercial beneficiaries of the research. Active processes of knowledge transfer will directly contribute towards wealth creation and economic prosperity by supporting the enhancement of research capacity, knowledge and skills in businesses and organisations and through the commercialisation of research in the formation of spin-out companies to serve the private, public and third sectors.
Firstly, there are the students themselves who will graduate as highly skilled academic and applied researchers - well-versed in interdisciplinary collaboration and trained to transfer, leverage and exploit the insight generated from their research and who are able to contribute to the economic and social development of the UK.
The research they will conduct will be focused on supporting local communities, and given the aim to enhance public service provision and support engagement in local issues. It is likely that their research will enhance quality of life, health and wellbeing in these areas, improve social welfare and social cohesion in the participating communities and generally increase public awareness of social and economic issues that are likely to be affecting these research participants, and this will be done at various levels from older adults through to school-aged communities.
The research is also intended to have impact at a Government level, and through our direct collaboration with our participating local authority partners student research projects will directly influence policy making at local, regional and national levels. Case-based research will transform evidence-based policy, and provide evidence to support changing organisational cultures and practices (for example enhancing the role of public participation in local governance) and through shaping and enhancing the effectiveness of public services, by directly designing and developing digital augmentations. As such the research projects directly intend to enhance the efficiency, performance and sustainability of public services through the user-centred development of new digital technologies and the promotion of local activism and civic engagement.
Another significant impact of the CDT will be the development and training of skilled people in non-academic professions through the development and open-sourcing of learning materials, which aim to transfer research insight (including skills and processes as much as research 'findings') to non-academic organisations, such as SMEs, NGOs and larger corporations (sourced through our broad partner network). These SMEs, NGOs and corporations (alongside the doctoral students themselves) are also likely to be commercial beneficiaries of the research. Active processes of knowledge transfer will directly contribute towards wealth creation and economic prosperity by supporting the enhancement of research capacity, knowledge and skills in businesses and organisations and through the commercialisation of research in the formation of spin-out companies to serve the private, public and third sectors.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Patrick Olivier (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Jack Holt (Student) |