Bridging the gap between law & HCI: designing effective regulation of human autonomy in everyday ubicomp systems

Abstract

Ubicomp technologies pose challenges to human agency, and legal rights reliant on individual autonomy, for example informed consent to data processing. Existing regulatory measures designed to address these issues are working less adequately, and increased dialogue between design and law communities is necessary to decide how best to ensure effective regulation of human autonomy. This thesis seeks to understand the various regulatory issues posed by ubicomp technologies, through specific case studies, with the overall aim of creating legal and technological solutions that work in practice.