[DATAGOV Core] [DATAGOV] December-January update & kick-off event

Thu Feb 19 17:43:23 CET 2026

Dear Stefania, all,

I also agree with Ron and Seda, that this might differ per institute, hence a check there might be necessary.

In a more general sense, one could opt for revealing only in very broad sense, without specifying the exact specific research question. And only afterwards (after the data collection) informing them about the exact research question and asking for approval for that at the respondents/Europol. However not sure of course, if this approach of only disclosing in broad sense would also entail lengthy negotiations for “security reasons”.

And indeed, what an impressive track record already! Congrats and good luck.

Kind regards,
Jo

> Op 18 feb 2026, om 18:30 heeft Seda Gürses <f.s.gurses at tudelft.nl> het volgende geschreven:
> 
> Hey there,
> 
> I am guessing this falls under covert research, which is not per se unethical but indeed needs some justification and guidance. What is acceptable may differ from institution to institution, which is basically what Ronald is saying.
> Good luck! 
> s.
> 
> 
> 
>> On Feb 18, 2026, at 5:06 PM, Ronald Deibert <r.deibert at utoronto.ca> wrote:
>> 
>> You don't often get email from r.deibert at utoronto.ca. Learn why this is important <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw1-6-DjXy2qmyrXvi9w1qxW>	
>> Hi Stefania
>> 
>> Thanks for the update. Regarding your question: I think that’s something worth running by the research ethics board of the university. In such circumstances, we can call the head of our research ethics group and outline a scenario and they usually help guide us through the thinking.
>> 
>> Hope that helps and congratulations on all of this activity.
>> 
>> All the best
>> Ron
>> 
>> 
>>> On Feb 13, 2026, at 7:51 AM, Stefania Milan <s.milan at uva.nl> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Dear Ethics Advisory Board members, 
>>> dear Seda, Jo and Ron
>>> we hope this message finds you well. 
>>> 
>>> We are writing to update you on our recent activities and to extend an invitation to join our kick-off event, should you be around and able to attend. Warning: the email is long. Read as much as it is useful or skim to the end—there is a question for you!
>>> 
>>> What we have been up to—December-January DATAGOV highlights
>>> The team has been busy reading, learning, and writing. In early January, Giulia (Postdoc), Mattéo (PhD) and Sruthi (PhD) led the project "Dissecting Digital ID(ea)s: Investigating the Infrastructures and Imaginaries of Digital Identity <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/WinterSchool2026DissectingDigitalIDeas&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw0gxr8tPVT7PDILDU-kdi7u>” <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/WinterSchool2026DissectingDigitalIDeas&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw0gxr8tPVT7PDILDU-kdi7u> at the Digital Methods Initiative Winter School at UvA, where participants generated comparative findings on digital identity schemes across five countries.
>>> 
>>> Our first co-authored paper, by Giulia, Mattéo and Shruti, with some input from Jonas (Postdoc) and Stefania, is currently under review at the CPDP (Computer, Privacy, and Data Protection) conference, to be held in May in Brussels. In addition, Stefania submitted an article, now under review, to Urban Geography as part of a special issue on "Crisis-driven Digitalization and its Afterlives in Urban Governance”. Another (co-authored) article, " <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/open-data-meets-data-justice&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw2_rAXMhmZOWS9ry9JAfWp9>Open data meets data justice <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/open-data-meets-data-justice&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw2_rAXMhmZOWS9ry9JAfWp9>”, has been published in Internet Policy Review. 
>>> 
>>> In December, Stefania  traveled to Brazil, where, alongside academic engagements, she presented the DATAGOV project at the Ministry of Education, thanks to the invitation and support of our Advisory Board member Fernando Filgueiras. She also delivered the inaugural lecture of the Francqui Chair <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.uhasselt.be/nl/faculteiten/school-voor-sociale-wetenschappen/sw-nieuws/francqui-leerstoel-prof-dr-stefania-milan-universiteit-van-amsterdam-aan-de-school-voor-sociale-wetenschappen&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw0aBvXNe2xU4Nozm60WZ7eS> she holds at Universiteit Hasselt (Belgium) for the current academic year (invited by Ethics Advisory Board member Jo Pierson!); the Chair unfolds in five thematic “episodes" exploring the DATAGOV research programme. As we speak, our three PhD students are in Oslo (Norway), to present at the workshop "Understanding and reimagining the Digital Welfare State” <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.digitresearchschool.no/events/digitalwelfarestate&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw1zNjyVOpSfrxFwb5IxJnb_>. 
>>> 
>>> On the event front
>>> We would like to flag two exciting calls for abstracts:
>>> EASST 2026, Krakow (8–11 September): we’re convening a panel titled "Infrastructures of governance: Power and assemblages in the data-driven state” <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst2026/p/18161&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw1JSSZoJc57NA1uQYKzkUqw>, with Jonas as convener.
>>> III International Congress of Feminist Anthropology, Tarragona (1–3 July). A side—but highly topical—gig for DATAGOV. Giulia and Sruthi are co-hosting the panel " <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://congressos.urv.cat/congres-antropologia-feminista-2026/simposi/454&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw2YeiCXJFItamAqNrxbobKV>Digital feminist anthropology’s role in the face of online anti-feminist backlash" <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://congressos.urv.cat/congres-antropologia-feminista-2026/simposi/454&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw2YeiCXJFItamAqNrxbobKV>. If either of these speaks to your work, we warmly encourage you (or your students) to consider submitting an abstract!
>>> 
>>> Finally, we have been very busy planning the kick-off event, which will take place on 26-27 March 2026. 
>>> Day 1 will be an invite-only event hosted by the UvA Institute for Advanced Studies (with limited seating). If you would like to join, please let us know ASAP so we can reserve your spot.
>>> Day 2 will feature a public lunch event, hosted by the contemporary arts space Framer Framed. A preliminary programme for both days can be found at the bottom of this email. 
>>> 
>>> Organization-wise 
>>> On the organization side, a skeleton website <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://datagovlab.net/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw2aJO11WhaejlbhJQLJpBgu> is now online (thanks to our amazing project manager, Meg!). We are working closely with a designer to craft our visual identity, with a redesigned, expanded website to follow. Five thought-provoking blog posts are about to go live in the coming weeks, so stay turned. We are also on LinkedI <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.linkedin.com/company/datagovlab/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw2SqBB7HAN7LyZAbFW8Ggjz>n (thanks to Sruthi): please do take a minute to follow us! 
>>> 
>>> Our artist-in-residence, Federico, is currently imagining and building a digital, self-run lab infrastructure to support our experimental and collaborative work—more on this soon. He is also reworking Le Grand Jeu <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://legrandjeu.net/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw1fyozuVk9gkJFaQirPQXaG>, a world-building board game he originally designed and developed for another EU project, adapting it as a device for data collection and awareness-raising. 
>>> 
>>> We are proud of 
>>> Sruthi has been selected for the third cohort of the Women in GovTech challenge 2026 <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://govstack.global/govstack-women-in-govtech-challenge-wigtc-2026/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw0y1pCxawh4ljp49cmabccp>, organised by GovStack, the World Bank and the DPI Safeguards Initiative. The mentorship and training programme aims to empower women to design and develop safe, inclusive, and citizen-centric digital government services.
>>> 
>>> Finally, Meg will be leaving us at the end of the month to start a PhD at Goethe University Frankfurt (am Main), supervised by Azadeh Akbari. While we will miss her dearly, we are incredibly excited for this next chapter and we look forward to collaborating in new ways in the future. 
>>> 
>>> And to the question
>>> Mattéo has been invited to Europol Industry Days, an invite-only semi-public event, and wants to use those days as field research to understand how innovation is presented in security organisations and how they cooperate with the private sector. It is primarily exploratory for a potential article about how biometrics is presented within the larger "innovation framework" these organisations push for. Mattéo has been invited because of his previous engagement as an intern at Europol, so he was not explicitly invited for research purposes. However, he has registered as an academic, Europol employees are aware he is doing a PhD, so might assume he might be studying them, but it has not been and cannot be made explicit at this stage (“security reasons” entail lengthy negotiations...). How do you interpret this situation? In such a context, how much data can Mattéo gather and in what form (fieldwork notes...)? How much does he need to reveal himself? Any thoughts and suggestions are very much welcome! 
>>> 
>>> All for now, and with best regards, 
>>> Stefania on behalf of the DATAGOV team 
>>> 
>>> 🗓️ 26 March — DATAGOV Kick-off: Invite-only Workshop 
>>> 📍 Location: IAS <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ias.uva.nl/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw1FwdgcHSokqSmovO_iJZrQ>
>>>  <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ias.uva.nl/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw1FwdgcHSokqSmovO_iJZrQ>
>>> 👥 Max. 25 participants
>>> 
>>> 🎯 Goal: idea generation and collective agenda-setting for the DATAGOV project
>>> 
>>> 🎨 Live visual facilitation throughout the day
>>>  
>>> 10:30–11:00 | Arrival & coffee
>>> • Informal arrival (coffee & nibbles)
>>>  
>>> 11:00–11:30 | Welcome & framing 
>>> • Welcome + brief team presentation 
>>> • Project vision + Sharing goals + Introduction of Live illustrator 
>>>  
>>> 11:30–12:30 | Session 1 — Mapping the terrain/1
>>> • Speakers: Mirca Madianou (Goldsmith), Jo Pierson (Hasselt U), Cecilia Passanti (Paris Cité), Niels ten Oever (UvA), Marjolein Lanzig (UvA)
>>>  
>>> 12:30–13:30 | Networking lunch
>>>  
>>> 13:30–14:30 | Session 2 — Mapping the terrain/2
>>> • Speakers: Louise Amoore (Durham U) , Rob van Kranemburg (IEEE),  Fernando Filgueiras (Brazilian Ministry of Education), Rocco Bellanova (Vrij Universiteit Brussel), Bidisha Chaudhuri (UvA)
>>>  
>>> 14:30–16:00 | Session 3: From tensions to directions
>>> • Format: groupwork
>>> 
>>> 16:00–16:15 | Closing
>>> • Key takeaways for the project’s next steps 
>>>  
>>> 🗓️ 26 March — evening programme
>>> 📍 Location: Terre Lente  <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.terrelente.com/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw0rj0_nvs458y8o1Qq4ihL7>
>>>  <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.terrelente.com/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw0rj0_nvs458y8o1Qq4ihL7>
>>> 🎯 Goal: invitee-only networking dinner + fun activity over drinks
>>>  
>>> 18:00 - | A look back at today: Collective synthesis 
>>> • Guided walk-through of the visual summary over drinks; participants are invited to intervene, contest, or add to the visuals. Dinner follows. 
>>>  
>>> 🗓️ 27 March — DATAGOV Kick-off: Public launch
>>> 📍 Location: Framer Framed  <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://framerframed.nl/en/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw2XiM8yELbkBLUynNa0lXLJ>
>>>  <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://framerframed.nl/en/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1772040609000000&usg=AOvVaw2XiM8yELbkBLUynNa0lXLJ>
>>> 👥  50-80 (open to the public)
>>> 🎯 Goal: present DATAGOV to the public
>>>  
>>> 09:30–10:00 | Registration & breakfast 
>>>  
>>> 10:00–10:45 | Welcome & introduction
>>>  
>>> 10:45–12:15 | Panel 1 — Governing by data infrastructure: tensions and fault lines
>>> • Keynote panel:
>>> Louise Amoore 
>>> Roundtable with Louise Amoore, Mirca Madianou, Rocco Bellanova, Niels ten Oever
>>> 12:15–13:15 | Networking lunch 
>>>  
>>> 13:15–14:45 | Panel 2 — Global perspectives on governance by data infrastructure 
>>> • Keynote panel:
>>> Fernando Filgueiras 
>>> Roundtable with Fernando Filgueiras, Cecilia Passanti, Bidisha Chaudhuri, Rob van Kranenburg  
>>> 14:45–15:15 | Closing reflections
>>>  
>>> 15:15 onwards | Drinks (borrel)
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> Ronald Deibert, O.C., O.Ont
>> Director, the Citizen Lab, Professor, Political Science
>> Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
>> University of Toronto
>> https://citizenlab.ca/ 
>> tttps://deibert.citizenlab.ca/
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 

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