The WATCH Workshop 2025 invites researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and industry experts to submit abstracts for presentation at the first workshop of the WATCH Project. The workshop focuses on the rapidly evolving ecosystem of web tracking and algorithmic user profiling, exploring its technical foundations, societal implications, and regulatory challenges.
As digital systems increasingly rely on behavioral data, understanding the interplay between data collection, algorithmic decision-making, privacy, and fairness has become essential. This workshop provides a unique interdisciplinary platform to examine these issues and shape future research directions.
We welcome submissions on topics including, but not limited to:
Web tracking technologies (stateful and stateless mechanisms)
Algorithmic user profiling and personalisation systems
Privacy-preserving machine learning and AI
Fairness, bias, and accountability in profiling systems
Detection and analysis of tracking ecosystems
Ad-blocking and user protection mechanisms
Regulatory frameworks (e.g., GDPR, DSA, AI Act)
Ethical and societal implications of digital surveillance
Transparency and explainability in AI-driven profiling
Network science approaches to tracking and profiling
We welcome submissions from researchers across disciplines, including computer science, social science, data science, and policy studies. Submissions should be focused on completed or ongoing work relevant to the workshop themes. Accepted papers will be considered for presentation at the workshop.
Submission Format: You can submit an abstract (1-3 pages, unlimited references and figures) or full paper if there is no copyright issue.
Submission Deadline: May 15, 2026
Notification of Acceptance: May 20, 2026
Submission Platform: Google Form (use the registration form to submit the abstract)