The project aims to significantly strengthen the informational self-determination of users of mobile health applications. Since mobile operating systems (Android/iOS) currently offer few ways to track the network traffic of individual apps, data usage often remains a "black box" for laypersons and even for experts.
The project is designed as a feasibility study that develops technical and communicative solutions centered around four key research questions:
Local Analysis: Investigating the extent to which data flows can be analyzed directly on the end device (e.g., through sandboxing/work profiles or TLS decryption).
Central Test Environment: Building a controlled infrastructure in which apps from stores can be automatically tested for their communication behavior.
Automated Interaction: Developing methods for simulating user input and wearable interactions to provoke and evaluate data flows prior to actual use.
Transparency & Intervention: Analyzing various data formats (e.g., JSON) and developing concepts for a clear presentation of results to the user, including the possibility of targeted communication blockin