Jane Im

Jane Im is a tenure-track faculty member at CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, part of the Helmholtz Association. She leads the Real-world Interactions and Systems for Change (RISC) Group, where she develops digital systems that give users more agency over their online interpersonal interactions and data, with a particular focus on designing social media and AI systems that center the consent of users who often hold less power than system creators.

Her research interests span Human-Computer Interaction, privacy systems, consent frameworks, and social media design, with a strong emphasis on addressing power imbalances in digital environments. Im's work explores how to design systems that respect user agency, particularly for vulnerable populations, and how socio-technical systems can be structured to promote positive social change through consentful interactions.

Her publication record shows a consistent focus on privacy, consent, and social computing, with significant contributions to understanding users' privacy preferences, developing consent frameworks for social platforms, and creating tools to help users navigate online interactions with greater agency. Her research bridges technical implementation with deep social understanding of digital interactions.

• EECS Rising Star
• Meta Research PhD Fellowship (selected on fourth try)
• University of Michigan Barbour Scholarship
• ACM CHI 2021 Honorable Mention
• ACM WebSci 2020 Best Paper Runner Up

Im actively contributes to the academic community through service roles including ACM CHI 2026 Associate Chair and organizing the ACM CHI 2024 panel on improving PhD advising relationships. Her RISC Group at CISPA develops systems that help users exercise agency in digital environments, particularly focusing on consent frameworks for social media interactions and mechanisms to give users more control over their data as AI technologies evolve.