Privacy Policy for the SWICE data collection app

Introduction

The SWICE WP1 team, responsible for the SWICE data collection app available on Google Play and on the Apple App Store, is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your data when you participate in our study on mobility-related behavioral data from mobile phone sensors. By using the SWICE app, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

Purpose of Data Collection

We collect data to investigate the impact of different interventions on people’s energy consumption and lifestyle choices in the context of mobility. This research aims to discover techniques to promote more sustainable mobility behavior.

Data Collection and Usage

The SWICE app collects data, including GPS coordinates, physical activity data, and questionnaire-based self-assessments, to analyze mobility behaviors. This data is used to understand and promote sustainable mobility practices. All data collected through the app is handled securely and anonymized to protect user identities.

Types of Data Collected

• Sensor Data: GPS and other smartphone sensor data are used to estimate your mobility patterns, including the approximate location of start and end, the duration, and the length of each displacement.
• Survey Data: Responses to questionnaires about your behavior, lifestyle, and beliefs with respect to environmental sustainability.
• Behavioral Data: Data related to your participation in interventions aimed at changing some aspects of your behavior to estimate their effects on energy consumption and comfort levels.

Data Collection Methods

• Mobile Application: The SWICE app is used to collect sensor data and to send to participants questionnaires and information about the study anonymously.
• Surveys: You will participate in surveys related to your behavior, lifestyle, and beliefs.
• Interventions: You will participate in small interventions to promote sustainable behavior, presented in the context of the living lab where you are enrolled in.

Data Usage

The data collected will be used for the following purposes:

• Analyzing the impact of interventions on energy consumption and lifestyle choices.
• Promoting more sustainable mobility behavior.
• Conducting research and publishing findings while preserving your anonymity.

Confidentiality and Anonymity

• All raw sensor data (e.g., GPS, accelerometer) will be processed within the smartphone application and will not be accessible to anyone. The processed results (e.g., modes of transport used) will be anonymized and coded to preserve your identity in any analysis, research publication, or presentation resulting from this work.
• Survey data (behavioral patterns, lifestyle, beliefs, demographic data) will be coded to preserve your anonymity.
• Collected data will not contain your name, identity, or any information that could reveal your identity.
• Only authorized researchers will have access to the collected data. This data will not be shared with project collaborators, employers, industrial partners, or any other third parties in its original form.

Data Sharing

After one year, a transformed, derived version of the data, which does not contain any identity information, may be shared with the Research Community upon request to analyze behavior change concerning sustainability-related matters. This version will be different from the original data and will include derived and accumulated features.

Data Security

Collected data is stored in a secured online database, accessible only to the researchers designing the study. We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security of your data.

Duration of Data Retention

The forecasted overall study duration is 8 years, from June 2022 to December 2030. Participants can start and stop their participation at any time during this period.

Participation and Withdrawal

Your participation in this study is voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time without penalty. You can opt-out of the study through the mobile application or by contacting the researchers via email.

If, for any reason, you want to delete the data that was collected associated with your participation, please fill in the questionnaire at the link swice.space/delete_data. Answering the questions on that page will help us retrieve the data associated to your personal pseudonym and delete it from the database within 30 days after your request.

Ethics approval

The scope and methods of the studies conducted with the SWICE app have been approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland (Ref.-No.: 2023-854 R1).

Legal Jurisdiction

This privacy policy is governed by Swiss law. The place of jurisdiction is in Fribourg, Switzerland.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this study, the data collection procedures, or your privacy, please contact:

• Dr. Julien Nembrini (julien.nembrini@unifr.ch)
• Dr. Moreno Colombo (moreno.colombo@unifr.ch)
• Human-IST Research Institute, Université de Fribourg, Suisse

Conclusion

By installing and using the SWICE app, you agree to this Privacy Policy. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your data is used responsibly to advance our research on sustainable mobility behavior.