معرفی
Güneş Acar is a tenured Assistant Professor in the Digital Security group at Radboud University's Faculty of Science. He is also affiliated with iHub, Radboud's interdisciplinary research hub on digitalization and society. His research focuses on security and privacy threats from websites, mobile apps, and IoT devices, with special emphasis on online tracking mechanisms, anonymous communication networks like Tor, and deceptive design patterns.
Dr. Acar completed his PhD at KU Leuven under the supervision of Claudia Diaz and Bart Preneel. Prior to joining Radboud University, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at KU Leuven's COSIC group and a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy.
His research spans web security, privacy, online tracking, IoT security, Tor network analysis, and dark patterns. He investigates how websites, mobile apps, and IoT devices compromise user privacy through various tracking mechanisms and deceptive interface designs. His work combines large-scale measurements with user studies to understand both technical vulnerabilities and their real-world impact on users.
Dr. Acar's publications reveal an evolving research trajectory from foundational web tracking mechanisms to increasingly sophisticated privacy threats. His work has expanded from browser fingerprinting to IoT privacy, children's online safety, and manipulative design patterns in subscription interfaces. A consistent theme across his research is the examination of how third-party trackers operate and circumvent privacy protections.
- 2022 CNIL-Inria Award for Privacy Protection (for Leaky Forms paper)
- Top Reviewer Award, Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium (2022)
- Future of Privacy Forum's Annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award (2020)
- Runner-up for multiple Caspar Bowden Awards for Outstanding Research in Privacy Enhancing Technologies
- Dutch Research Council (NWO) Vidi Grant (2025-2030) for "A Web Security and Privacy Observatory"
Dr. Acar actively supervises PhD students including Zahra Moti, Tim Vlummens, and Luqman Zagi, with Asuman Senol recently completing her PhD in 2024. He has secured significant research funding including the NWO Vidi Grant and a project grant from armasuisse for the Mobile Web Inspector project. His research has influenced policy discussions with organizations including the OECD, US Federal Trade Commission, and European consumer protection authorities.
As part of the Digital Security group at Radboud University, Dr. Acar contributes to a vibrant research ecosystem focused on practical security and privacy solutions. His work bridges technical security research with human-centered perspectives, often collaborating across disciplines to address complex privacy challenges in real-world contexts.
