How can European alternatives to big tech reflect the values and needs of users while also complying with European law? In the position paper Building a public mobile stack, Waag Futurelab presents a framework that helps developers and policymakers bring these two perspectives together. The framework connects users’ values and needs to specific layers and design choices within the mobile stack, as well as to requirements under European law.
Using this framework, the position paper shows why abstract public values alone are not enough to guide technological development. How values are understood and which ones matter most can differ between user groups. At the same time, the different layers of the mobile stack, from apps and app distribution to operating systems, hardware and cloud infrastructure, are closely interconnected. Developing ethical mobile technology therefore requires looking at the connections between user values, design choices, the mobile stack as a whole and European law.
What does this mean for policymakers and developers?
Based on the framework, Waag makes recommendations for both groups. For policymakers, these include policies that take the entire mobile stack into account, investment in ethical technology and alternative ecosystems, and clearer guidance on the application of European law. For developers, the focus is on integrating user research throughout the development process, creating technology that is understandable and usable, including user perspectives in decision-making, and considering a broader range of values beyond privacy, freedom and openness.
The position paper is the result of research conducted as part of the European research project Mobifree. The framework was developed through workshops and user testing with more than 200 participants across four different user groups. Waag also analysed fourteen European laws that apply to developers within the mobile ecosystem.
Through this research, Waag contributes to the development of a mobile ecosystem centred on users’ needs, public values and digital autonomy. Waag explores how technology can contribute to a sustainable and just society and develops alternatives based on public values.
Explore the full framework and all recommendations in the position paper.
