05-03-2026
Rita Faria, a student of the Master’s in Digital Society at NOVA FCT, received an Honorable Mention in the 4th edition of the INA Award – Best Research in Public Administration.
The distinction recognizes her dissertation, “Safeguarding Privacy in the Digital Environment – The Use of the Usability and Accessibility Seal in the Context of the Portuguese Public Administration”, supervised by Davide Scarso, Professor at the Department of Applied Social Sciences.
The award, which annually distinguishes Master’s and PhD dissertations in the field of Public Administration, focused this year on the theme “The Impact of Digital Transformation on the Future of Public Service”, framed within the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025.
The awarded research proposes an innovative model for evaluating and strengthening digital privacy practices in public administration, promoting the adoption of solutions that protect online service users and foster an institutional culture of privacy.
The study aims to contribute to a stronger framework for privacy protection in websites and mobile applications across the public sector, analyzing the role of the Usability and Accessibility Seal as a tool to encourage privacy-enhancing configurations for citizens using digital services.
Drawing on the privacy attribute framework developed by Barth, Ionita, and Hartel (2022), the dissertation introduces a diagnostic model for assessing online privacy practices in public organizations. This model includes two research outputs — an evaluation form and a reference table — designed to promote a culture of respect for users’ rights and strengthen trust in digital public services.
