On 26 May 2025, the CHANGER project hosted its third CHANGER Café, bringing together experts and participants to discuss the pressing ethical and legal challenges surrounding informed consent in biomedical research, especially in the age of data-driven technologies. The session, titled The Role of Privacy Agents in Expressing Consent for Research, addressed the increasingly complex landscape of data processing, where personal data is reused by multiple entities for various purposes. Individuals are often left overwhelmed by the complexity of decision-making regarding their data. The Café was co-organised by partner University of Groningen (RUG) and also was moderated by Marina Markellou (RUG), a CHANGER’s partnership member.

Marcu Florea, PhD Researcher at the University of Groningen and expert in data protection law, introduced the concept of privacy agents—software-based tools designed to manage consent on behalf of individuals based on their preferences. This approach could potentially alleviate the burden on individuals and better align data use with their values.

Constantin Vică, Associate Professor at the University of Bucharest, a researcher in technology ethics, and also a CHANGER partner, offered his insights on the use of automated agents in such sensitive decision-making processes.

Watch the video of the webinar:

Marcu Florea

Marcu Florea

Constantin Vică, Marcu Florea, Marina Markellou

Stay tuned for more sessions from the CHANGER Cafés series!