Organising Institution
University of Kassel: Project PriDI: Privacy-enhancing Digital Infrastructures
Germany
EU OWI-Quest: Battle for an European Open Web Index - Safeguarding Fundamental Rights in a Digital World
- Workshop
- Living Room
- Thursday 22.05 — 11:50 - 13:05
This interactive workshop explores how a European Open Web Index (OWI) enhances European digital sovereignty and data protection. Using a gamified HeroQuest-inspired format, participants assume roles — Barbarians, Wizards , Dwarves, and Elves — to collaboratively counter the evil Mage and his Monsters (representing e,g, legal challenges, status quo, lack of trust and user acceptance). Each group will explore how an OWI supports or challenges digital sovereignty and privacy and how current EU regulations shape the feasibility of an OWI.
The workshop includes breakout discussions to refine perspectives and a combat phase where the evil mage offers challenges to refine the group's arguments using HeroQuest-like monsters (e.g. the Data Demon and The Blind Oracle) representing real-world obstacles (e.g., user adoption, compliance, market dominance).
Key outcomes include recommendation and collaborative strategies for an OWI. By merging different perspectives, OWIQuest gives participants new and actionable ideas for a fairer digital future.
Host
Leopold Beer
Open Search Foundation: Project PriDI: Privacy-enhancing Digital Infrastructures - Germany
Leopold Beer is a legal professional and researcher based in Munich, Germany. He studied law at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, specializing in competition law, intellectual property, and media law. During his studies, Leopold gained experience in data protection law as a student assistant at Eversheds Sutherland. Since graduating in July 2024, he has been working for the Open Search Foundation on the PriDI (Privacy-enhancing Digital Infrastructures) research project. Leopold's research focuses on the legal foundations of open search infrastructure, with particular attention to platform regulation, AI law, and digital copyright.
Host
Chrisitian L. Geminn
University of Kassel, ITeG, provet - Germany
Private lecturer for Public Law and Law of the Digital Society at the University of Kassel | Consultant for ministries, non-profit organizations as well as large and small companies | Principal investigator in several third-party funded research projects
Host
Kai Erenli
UAS BFI Vienna - Austria
Kai Erenli studied law at the University of Graz (Austria). He wrote his doctoral thesis about the legal aspects of open source licensing and has a deep insight of IT-Law. He is a member of the board of it-law.at the Austrian network for IT-lawyers. Kai spent much time in the multimedia-business as he was the Art Director of @vertising in Graz. From 2011 to 2020 he was the study director of the Bachelor Program “Film-, TV- and Media Production” at the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienne. Since 2020 he is study director of the Bachelor Program “Interactive Media & Games Business”
Since 2013 he also serves as “General Counsel” to a Vienna based Animation Studio. Kai has produced and designed a fair amount of games, such as the Educational AR-Game “QuizeRo”. Kai was awarded with the „ars docendi - Business & Law” by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy.
Kai was responsible for the legal evaluation of the Open Web Index within the partner project "ALMASTIC"
Host
Lara Sokol
University of Kassel - Germany
Lara Sokol is a research associate in the field of Information Systems at University of Kassel. She holds a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology and Economic Psychology, which provides her with a unique understanding of the psychological and social factors that influence human behavior in digital environments. Within the PriDI (Privacy-enhancing Digital Infrastructures) Research Project, her expertise enables her to develop effective solutions that promote user trust and acceptance in open search infrastructure, with a focus on user-centered design.