Kaushik and Wang receive best privacy paper award at SOUPS 2021

Smirity Kaushik
Smirity Kaushik
Yang Wang
Yang Wang, Associate Professor

A paper authored by PhD student Smirity Kaushik and Associate Professor Yang Wang received the IAPP SOUPS Privacy Award at the 17th Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS 2021). The symposium, which was held August 8-10, brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers and practitioners in human-computer interaction, security, and privacy.

In the paper, "'How I Know For Sure': People's Perspectives on Solely Automated Decision-Making (SADM)," Kaushik, Wang, and coauthors Yaxing Yao (University of Maryland Baltimore County) and Pierre Dewitte (KU Leuven) describe the findings of their online study to explore people's understanding of SADM. According to the researchers, while the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union has granted citizens some rights regarding SADM, including obtaining an explanation of such processing, "it is unclear how organizations should support people in effectively exercising such rights."

"SADM is widely applicable in job searches, healthcare, banking loan approval, and others," said Kaushik. "However, SADM system-based decisions could lead to discrimination, social segregation, and loss of privacy. As a result, they could significantly or legally affect people."

The paper's authors offer design recommendations, including an icon for SADM processing that companies could add to their websites, "sandbox for SADM" to allow people to experiment with the SADM process, and personalized explanation templates to inform people about how SADM made a decision. They also offer policy recommendations such as mandating notifications to alert users when they are being subjected to SADM processing, similar to cookie notification.

Kaushik's research interests include human-computer interaction and user experience in social computing systems, with a focus on privacy policies and usable privacy and security. She holds an MS in information management from Syracuse University, BA LLB (JD equivalent in the U.S.), and BA in history from the University of Delhi.

Wang conducts research focusing on usable privacy and security technologies, social computing, human-computer interaction, and explainable artificial intelligence. He earned his PhD in information and computer science from the University of California, Irvine.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Get to know Kyrie Zhixuan Zhou, PhD student

PhD student Kyrie Zhixuan Zhou's goal is to make information and communication technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI) experiences more equitable, accessible, beneficial, and ethical for all. In his free time, he is devoted to helping junior researchers, especially those from populations not typically represented in STEM.

Zhixuan Zhou

Santos honored by Illinois State Comptroller

Professor and Dean Eunice E. Santos was named a 2024 Women's History Month Honoree by the Illinois Office of Comptroller. She was recognized at a ceremony hosted by Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza on March 21 in Springfield. At the Women's History Month celebration, Santos and three other women trailblazers were honored for their achievements and contributions to the community.

Eunice Santos

Dual degree program a perfect fit for Byington

Richard Byington wanted to pursue a master's degree in Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies (REEES) at the University of Illinois, but after learning that he could earn an MSLIS at the same time, he decided to enroll in the dual degree program.

Richard Byington

Comics Connection

Associate professor Carol Tilley on Wonder Woman, public libraries vs. drugstores, and our very visual culture.

Carol Tilley in her office surrounded by comics

Book co-edited by Dahlen recognized by ChLA

A book edited by Associate Professor Sarah Park Dahlen and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, associate professor in the University of Michigan's Marsal Family School of Education, has received the Children's Literature Association (ChLA) Edited Book Award. The annual award recognizes the contributions of an outstanding edited collection of essays to children's literature history, scholarship, and criticism. 

Sarah Park Dahlen