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Ready for the EU Digital Services Act?

How Decisions by Apple and by Google impede App Privacy

Authors

Konrad Kollnig Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford
Nigel Shadbolt Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26116/techreg.2023.002

Keywords:

app stores, Digital Services Act, privacy, data protection, online platforms, Apple, Google, iOS, Android, apps

Abstract

Ample past research highlighted that privacy problems are widespread in mobile apps and can have disproportionate impacts on individuals. However, doing such research remains hard and an arms race with those who engage in invasive data practices. This is why this paper analyses how decisions by Apple and Google, the makers of the two primary app ecosystems (iOS and Android), currently hold back app privacy research. We base our analysis on a thorough review of the academic literature and on many years of experience in working in the space. Such an analysis is timely and pertinent, given that Article 31 of the upcoming EU Digital Services Act (DSA) will oblige Very Large Online Platforms to enable researchers study ‘systemic risks’.

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Author Biographies

Konrad Kollnig, Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford

Konrad Kollnig is a DPhil candidate at the Computer Science Department of Oxford University, with a focus on usable privacy. Previously, he studied computer science and mathematics in Aachen, Edinburgh and Oxford.
Nigel Shadbolt, Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford

Sir Nigel Shadbolt is Professor of Computing Science at the Computer Science Department of Oxford University and Principal of Jesus College, Oxford. In 2012, he co-founded the Open Data Institute, together with Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

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Published

26-09-2023

Versions

Issue

Vol. 2023 (2023)

Section

Articles

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Kollnig, K., & Shadbolt, N. (2023). Ready for the EU Digital Services Act? How Decisions by Apple and by Google impede App Privacy. Technology and Regulation, 2023, 10-21. https://doi.org/10.26116/techreg.2023.002