Principled Electronic Consent Management: A Preliminary Research Framework

Abstract

Consent is a multifaceted concept that has not received much attention in information systems literature. In this paper we categorise current electronic consent decision making systems into first generation, ex-post and principled Electronic Consent Management. We argue for the adoption of principled ECM as a way forward to consent management in information systems, and outline a research framework for ECM, proposing three key components: consent theory, ECM norms, and ECM norms' manifestation. A real world context is then selected to illustrate the framework's intention.

An informed view on consent for UbiComp

“…On the basis of similar tenets, Bonnici and Coles-Kemp posit that existing electronic consent management (ECM) systems do not truly support meaningful consent decisions amongst users [3]. To address this, they argue for a principled approach through a return to theory, empirical study, and ethical principles and values such as beneficence and autonomy, drawing design back to the philosophical origins of the concept.…”

“…Whilst work published in recent years has to some extent attended to the concept, this has related primarily to tangible online interactions [3], with little consideration given to (a) forward-looking conceptual work, and (b) research specifically addressing the challenges of consent within pervasive systems. Broadening the scope, contributory fields such as psychology, sociology, behavioural economics and bioethics have dealt with consent and technology more directly.…”

“…The literature on consent draws from multiple contributing disciplines (e.g. law [2], computer science [3], psychology [26], bioethics [21], sociology and design [13]), casting consent as a conceptually complex and multifaceted issue. However, even without the additional challenges posed by ubicomp, these perspectives are siloed, disparate, epistemologically distinct and often highly theoretical, rather than applied, and as such are not immediately useful to the design of ubiquitous systems.…”

The value of consent: Discussions with designers of ubiquitous computing systems

“…Any distraction in this context would therefore not only undermine consent, but also the user experience. However, despite some excellent work in this area [1], the design of systems has seen little change beyond that which has been legally enforced [7]. In response to this, Luger and Rodden (2013) suggested a series of broad guidelines developed on the basis of interviews with leading experts in the field.…”

An analytical solution for consent management in patient privacy preservation

“…Researchers have recently studied the consent management in electronic healthcare [14,5,15,19]. In [14], Russello et al described a framework for healthcare systems where patients are able to control the disclosure of their medical data.…”