Research Interests:

My research interests are broadly in the field of usable privacy and human computer interaction with a focus on online privacy, technology adoption, decision making and data use. I adopt an interdisplinary approach using research methods from the fields of computer science, social sciences and pyshcology to explore the reasoning and patterns behind users' online decisions in an effort to develop frameworks through which online privacy can be better safe guarded.


Learn more about my academic research:
If you are here because of my work co-leading the Black in AI Academic Program, learn more about the program here:

Latest Updates!!

  • Paper Alert (Nov'21): Research paper on the effectiveness of adaptation methoods in improving user engagement and privcay protection on social network sites accepted for publication and presentation at PoPETs 2022

  • PhD Update (Sept'21): Succefully defended my proposal. In essence, I am on schedule to soon graduate with my Ph.D --- tentatively in May 2022

  • Paper Alert (Aug'21): Research paper on the effect of "power use" on installing mobile applications and granting them permissions accepted for publication and presentation at EuroUSEC 2021

  • In Media (Aug'21): Interviewed about being among this year's MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 by my alma mater The University of Maryland, College Park See: (UMDCS)

  • Paper Alert (July'21): Research paper on groupware adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic accepted for publication and presentation at CSCW 2021

  • Invited Keynote Speaker (July'21): Served as the keynote speaker at University of Maryland's AI4All. See: (UMD AI4ALL)

  • In Media (July'21): Interviewed about being among this year's MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 by the Greenville News (both print & online versions)! See: (The Greenville News)

  • Awards (June'21): MIT Technology Review, 35 Innovators Under 35! See: (MIT Tech Review Annoucement, Clemson Newstand.)

  • Internship (May'21) : UX Research Intern on Privacy & Data Use, Facebook.

  • Invited Panelist. (May'21): On remote work & collaboration at CHIMentoring 2021.

  • Invited Talk. (May'21): Presented my research work on VPNs at the inivitation of the BLUES lab at the University of Berkeley, California.

  • Invited Talk. (Apr'21): Presented my research work on VPNs at CS colloquim seminar talk at University of Colorado Boulder.

  • Invited Talk. (Mar'21): Presented my research work on VPNs at the the CS colloquim seminar talk at University of North Carolina Charlotte.

  • Awards. (Feb'21): Selected as a University of Berkeley CTSP & CLTC 2021 Joint Fellow.

  • Prof. Dev. (Dec'20): Completed the Certificate in Teaching Engineering & Science Education (ESED)

  • Research Talk (July'20): Presented our paper on VPNs at the PoPETs symposium (Video) and to the Tor Anti-Censorship Team.

  • Internship (May'20) : UX Research Intern, Facebook.

  • Awards (Jan'20): I was awarded a Facebook Fellowship 2020 - 2022! See:(Facebook Research Blog Annoucement, Clemson Newstand.)


PUBLICATIONS (Google Scholar)

  1. Moses Namara, Henry Sloan, Bart P. Knijnenburg.(2021). The Effectiveness of Adaptation Methods in Improving User Engagement and Privacy Protection on Social Network Sites. To Appear Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies 2022 (PoPETS 2022) [PDF]

  2. Moses Namara, Reza Ghaiumy Anaraky, Pamela Wisniewski, Xinru Page, Bart P. Knijnenburg.(2021).Examining Power Use and the Privacy Paradox between Intention vs. Actual Use of Mobile Applications. In Proceedings of the 2021 European Symposium on Usable Security (EuroUSEC 2021) [PDF]

  3. Moses Namara, Bart P. Knijnenburg.(2021). The Differential Effect of Privacy-Related Trust on Groupware Application Adoption and Use during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (PACM HCI:CSCW 2021) [PDF]

  4. Lynn Kirabo, Moses Namara, Nathan McNeese (2021). The Power of the Blue Tick: Ugandans' experiences and engagement on Twitter at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 ACM African Human-Computer Interaction Conference (AfriCHI '21), Maputo, Mozambique [PDF]

  5. Moses Namara, Daricia Wilkinson, Kelly Caine, Bart P. Knijnenburg.(2020). Emotional and Practical Considerations Towards the Adoption and Abandonment of VPNs as a Privacy-Enhancing Technology. Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies 2020, no. 1 (2020): 83-102. [PDF]

  6. Moses Namara, Daricia Wilkinson, Bryon M. Lowens, Bart P. Knijnenburg, Rita Orji, Sekou L. Remy.(2018). Cross-cultural Perspectives on eHealth Privacy in Africa”. Proceedings of the Second African Conference on Human Computer Interaction (AfriChi’18), Windhoek, Namibia. [PDF]

  7. M. Namara, H. Sloan, P. Jaiswal and B. P. Knijnenburg," The Potential for User-Tailored Privacy on Facebook," 2018 IEEE Symposium on Privacy-Aware Computing (PAC), Washington, DC, USA, 2018, pp. 31-42.doi: 10.1109/PAC.2018.00010. [PDF]

  8. Knijnenburg, B.P., Cherry, D., Wilkinson, D., Sivakumar, S., Ghaiumy Anaraky, R.,Namara, M., Ash, E., Davis, R.M., and Raybourn, E.M.(2017)Privacy Support for the Total Learning Architecture: Operational Characteristics. [PDF]

  9. Page, X.,Namara, M., Wisniewski, P., Knijnenburg, B.P. Social Media’s Have-Nots: An Era of Social Disenfranchisement.(2017). Journal Paper. (Emerald) Journal on Internet Research.

  10. Wei Bai, Doowon Kim, Moses Namara, Yichen Qian, Michelle L. Mazurek, Patrick Gage Kelley. Redmiles, E.M.*, Grace, E.*, Rai, A.*, and Ghani, R. An Inconvenient Trust: User Attitudes Toward Security and Usability Tradeoffs for Key Directory Encryption Systems. Conference Paper. In Proceedings of the Twelfth Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security(SOUPS). 2016. [PDF]
Talks and Events
  • AfriCHI'18 Conference Talk (Dec '18), Windhoek, Namibia: presented my accepted research paper on "cross-cultural privacy perspectives in Africa"
  • Invited Talk (Oct '18), Menlo Park,CA: Vivid in Research Facebook Event
  • IEEE PAC '18 Conference Talk (Sept '18), Washington,DC: presented my accepted research paper on UTP Adaptations
  • SOUPS'18 Poster (Aug '18), Baltimore, MD: presented poster on UTP Adaptations
  • UXPA'18 Panelist (June '18), San Juan,Puerto Rico: Disccussed the research challenges on researching individual privacy preferences
  • CHI'18 Conference (April '18), Montreal, Canada: Worskhop Co-organizer of the networked privacy workshop.
  • Invited Talk (April '18),Menlo Park ,CA: Honored to give a talk at the Facebook Privacy Summit.
  • SHARC'18 (April '18),Clemson University: Presented a poster on UTP Adaptations at SHARC 2018.
  • Invited Talk (April '18), Clemson University: Privacy decision making. GRADS 2018.
  • CHI 2018: accepted workshop (Nov'18) Co-organizer the individual privacy differences workshop
  • Invited Talk (Sept '17), Menlo Park,CA: Honored to give a talk at the Facebook Fellows Worskhop
  • Facebook (Sept '17): Honored to be awarded the Emerging Facebook Scholar Award recepient for the 2017-2019 academic years!