On Thursday, 27 November, members of the Privacy Engineering Research Group (IngPriv) at the School of Computer Engineering of the University of Valladolid gave a workshop on digital privacy to a total of 26 third- and fourth-year secondary school students at Lestonnac School.
The main objective of this training activity was to raise awareness among students about the importance of protecting their personal data and improve their understanding of how personal information is managed when they use mobile applications in their daily lives.
During the first part of the workshop, concepts related to digital privacy, personal data and the risks associated with incorrect or careless use of technology were addressed. Attendees learned what kind of personal information they share when using mobile applications and why it is essential to protect it. They also learned how mobile application permissions work, what types of permissions apps can request, and how to grant or deny them in an informed manner.
The workshop included two practical exercises aimed at reinforcing the concepts explained. First, the students carried out an activity on metadata, in which they were able to see what additional information images and digital files can contain, such as location, date or device used, and reflect on the risks this may pose to their privacy.
Next, the students were able to test APK Falcon, a tool developed by members of the IngPriv Group, which allows Android mobile applications to be analysed to identify the permissions they request and assess potential privacy risks. Through practical examples, the students learned how to compare applications and detect relevant differences from the point of view of personal data protection.
The Privacy Engineering Research Group would like to thank Lestonnac School for its interest and collaboration in this workshop.
You can see part of the workshop content in this video.