Keynote Speakers at CHIIR 2025

Keynote #1

Bio
Prof. Daniel Angus is Professor of Digital Communication and Director of the QUT Digital Media Research Centre. He is internationally recognised for his expertise in computational communication research and has made significant contributions to understanding the social, cultural, and political implications of digital media and artificial intelligence. Daniel’s work spans diverse areas, including social media platform accountability, the dynamics of mis- and disinformation, and the ethical integration of AI into society. He has played a leading role in shaping Australian and global policy debates, contributing evidence-based insights to government inquiries and media coverage. As both scholar and community advocate, Daniel is passionate about fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to address the challenges and opportunities of our increasingly digital world. His current projects include advancing research infrastructure for digital data analysis through the recently established Australian Internet Observatory, and developing deeper understandings of the implications of AI in society as a Chief Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making + Society.

Abstract
As the digital landscape evolves, so do the methods we use to study it. Data donation is emerging as a transformative methodology for understanding human behavior, platform dynamics, and societal impacts in the age of digital platforms. By inviting individuals to voluntarily share their interaction data, researchers gain access to rich, multimodal, and temporally sequenced digital traces, critical for addressing gaps left by increasingly restricted API access. From tracking technologies and data checkout tools enabled by European digital regulations, to innovative public engagement projects, data donation offers countless new opportunities for digital research. This keynote explores the opportunities and challenges of data donation, highlighting its potential in transforming how we understand the intersection of people, platforms, and policy. Drawing on examples ranging from studies of computational advertising, personalised search results, and fine-grained media consumption data, I will illustrate the breadth of questions data donation can address. Each case will also highlight significant ethical and methodological challenges. Issues of privacy, transparency, and informed consent are paramount, requiring rigorous standards to ensure trust within these largely participant-centered research models. Data donation is not just a method, it is a call to reimagine participant-centered research practices for an era of platform opacity and fragmentation. Through this keynote, I will outline the greater opportunities for how these methods can bridge academic inquiry and public engagement, ultimately advancing responsible research that serves and empowers the wider public.

Keynote #2