Transparent and self-determined arrangement of data use in companies

Brief description

Within the framework of the joint project "TrUSD - Transparent and self-determined design of data use in companies", the implementation possibilities of a practical, legally compliant and technology-supported employee data protection with the help of privacy dashboards are being researched. ITA is responsible for the human factors / ergonomics support and develops concepts for the successful introduction and anchoring of the Privacy Dashboard in companies.

The growing digitalization in the working world opens up the possibility for companies to collect and evaluate extensive data on various work processes. On the one hand, this development represents an opportunity for process optimization, on the other hand it presents companies with new challenges in terms of data security and employee data protection. Especially when personal data are collected, transferred, stored and evaluated within the company, this affects questions of informational self-determination of employees and the associated legal regulations (e.g. the European Data Protection Basic Regulation).

At present, employees in Germany rarely have the knowledge or the possibilities to understand, let alone control, the data collected, how they are processed and the possible consequences for their privacy. Therefore, TrUSD develops novel concepts and tools for a practical, legally compliant and technology-supported employee data protection in the form of privacy dashboards and data protection technologies. The focus is on a so-called Privacy Dashboard, which provides employees with all the information they need in a simple and understandable way. At the same time, it is intended to offer setting options for effectively enforcing personal data protection preferences. The Privacy Dashboard will be implemented as a demonstrator within the project and tested in several application scenarios.

Within the framework of its sub-project, the ITA is researching occupational science issues in the context of human-centred or user-centred design of the technology as well as the organisational changes required for the successful application of the technology. The design of the change process through the application of change management methods in the partner companies and organizations plays a central role. Accordingly, ITA is developing a participatory process model and concepts for the introduction of the Privacy Dashboard based on this model, adapted to the concrete application scenarios that are exemplarily considered in the TrUSD project.

In order to achieve the goals, the involvement of all relevant stakeholder groups in the corporate context, including employers, employees, employee representatives (works councils) and trade unions, is a central concern of the ITA. Only by taking all perspectives into account can a set of instruments be created that is accepted by all sides and that enables a fair balance between the interests of employees, employee representatives and employers, thus strengthening the culture of trust and work within the companies.

To the project's website: https://www.trusd-projekt.de/wp/

Link to the BMBF website: https://www.forschung-it-sicherheit-kommunikationssysteme.de/projekte/trusd