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Quinn LabsEthereal 003

Ethereal 003 — Method

Proposed research programme

Nothing below has begun. No collaborators have been appointed and no findings are claimed.
Research prototype

01

Consent

How people understand connection, expiry and evidence choices.

Question
Do people accurately understand what they are agreeing to when a message can fade?
Potential collaborators
None appointed
Evidence required
Comprehension studies, interviews, usability testing across age groups.
Current status
Unstarted

02

Cryptography

Recognised protocols, device keys, group changes and recovery.

Question
Which established protocols could support consented expiry without weakening them?
Potential collaborators
None appointed
Evidence required
Protocol review, threat modelling, independent cryptographic assessment.
Current status
Unstarted

03

Native capture controls

Operating-system protections, recording detection, previews and external-camera limitations.

Question
What can platforms actually restrict, and how should the residual risk be described?
Potential collaborators
None appointed
Evidence required
Device matrix testing, platform documentation review, failure cataloguing.
Current status
Unstarted

04

Safeguarding

Bullying, harassment, grooming, coercion, domestic abuse and victim-controlled evidence.

Question
When does temporary communication reduce harm, and when does it conceal it?
Potential collaborators
None appointed
Evidence required
Practitioner consultation, survivor-informed research, harm scenario analysis.
Current status
Unstarted

05

Law and rights

Privacy, deletion, evidence, platform responsibilities and jurisdiction.

Question
How do deletion rights and evidential needs interact across jurisdictions?
Potential collaborators
None appointed
Evidence required
Legal review, comparative analysis, evidential practice literature.
Current status
Unstarted

06

Human interaction

Making complex protection understandable without turning communication into settings and warnings.

Question
Can protection be legible without becoming constant interruption?
Potential collaborators
None appointed
Evidence required
Interaction prototypes, comparative task testing, longitudinal use studies.
Current status
Unstarted

07

Accessibility

Ensuring privacy controls remain usable with assistive technology and different cognitive needs.

Question
Do temporary states remain understandable without sight, or with reduced motion?
Potential collaborators
None appointed
Evidence required
Assistive technology testing, plain-language review, cognitive load assessment.
Current status
Unstarted

No active collaborators, funding, reviews or findings exist for this experiment.