Post-Doctorant F/H Usability evaluation of “notice and action” reporting mechanisms in online

Contexte et atouts du poste

About the centre

Inria is the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science, of which the Inria Côte d'Azur University Center is a part. With strong expertise in computer science and applied mathematics, the research projects of the Inria Côte d'Azur University Center cover all aspects of digital science and technology and generate innovation. Based mainly in Sophia Antipolis, but also in Nice and Montpellier, it brings together 47 research teams and nine support services. It is active in the fields of artificial intelligence, data science, IT system security, robotics, network engineering, natural risk prevention, ecological transition, digital biology, computational neuroscience, health data, and more. The Inria Center at Université Côte d'Azur is a major player in terms of scientific excellence, thanks to the results it has achieved and its collaborations at both European and international level.

Context

Every year Inria International Relations Department has a few postdoctoral positions in order to support Inria international collaborations.

The postdoctoral contract will have a duration of 12 to 24 months. The default start date is November 1st, 2026 and not later than January, 1st 2027. The postdoctoral fellow will be recruited by one of the from Inria and

Mission confiée

The EU Digital Services Act (DSA), imposed a number of obligations for “online platforms”, such as social media platforms. In particular, DSA Article 16 requires that online platforms present the "notice and action" mechanism to its users. These mechanisms—commonly referred to as user reporting tools—allow individuals or entities to notify providers of “illegal content” hosted on their platforms. Under Article 6 of the DSA, “illegal content” is broadly defined both as content that is illegal (e.g., child sexual abuse material) and content that relates to an illegal activity (e.g., messages showing evidence of harassment). As per the requirements of Article 16, these mechanisms must be “easy to access and user-friendly.” This necessitates that they be usable and free from manipulative patterns such as “dark patterns” or "dysfunctional-by-design" interface elements. Otherwise, these barriers may prevent users or entities from submitting notices or result in submissions that are insufficiently precise and inadequately substantiated.

These notices place a burden of labour on users, who must explain why they believe the content is illegal and provide specific details to enable a suitable evaluation by platform moderation systems. Consequently, a notice and action mechanism with poor usability will severely limit the effectiveness of this critical DSA provision. Indeed, the DSA regulator – in this case EU Commission – has made

Principales activités

The goal of the postdoc will be to propose a large-scale, systematic usability evaluation of “notice and action” mechanisms that is applicable across in-scope online platforms. The postdoc will apply established evaluation methods—including usability heuristic evaluation and cognitive walkthroughs— as well as detection and reporting of “

Compétences

• PhD degree in computer science, ideally in the domain of HCI and privacy.
• Proficiency in one or more of the following research fields:
• Inspection-based evaluation methods, such as usability heuristic evaluation and cognitive walkthroughs
• Knowledge of dark patterns and deceptive designs
• Strong interest in regulatory aspects of online interfaces
• Knowledge of usability evaluation approaches
• Languages: Fluency in English is required; proficiency in French is considered an asset.
• Interpersonal Skills: The candidate will be evaluated on their ability to interact effectively with colleagues and collaborate within other team members and legal scholars. Demonstrated communication skills, including the ability to engage with a broader audience, will be highly valued.

Avantages

• Restauration subventionnée
• Transports publics remboursés partiellement
• Congés: 7 semaines de congés annuels + 10 jours de RTT (base temps plein) + possibilité d'autorisations d'absence exceptionnelle (ex : enfants malades, déménagement)
• Possibilité de télétravail (après 6 mois d'ancienneté) et aménagement du temps de travail
• Équipements professionnels à disposition (visioconférence, prêts de matériels informatiques, etc.)
• Prestations sociales, culturelles et sportives (Association de gestion des œuvres sociales d'Inria)
• Accès à la formation professionnelle
• Sécurité sociale

Rémunération

Gross Salary: 2788 € per month