ÖIAT Research

The Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications (ÖIAT) has been promoting the competent, safe and responsible use of digital media for more than 20 years. Together with our partners, we conduct research on current topics related to the digital world. On this page we provide an overview of past and current research projects.

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Fake-Shop Detector

Artificial Intelligence Fraud Fraud Detection Online Shopping

Fake shops inflict substantial economic harm, with a recent dark field study estimating that 320,000 consumers in Austria are directly impacted, resulting in financial losses of approximately €16 million. The Fake-Shop Detector, a free tool, provides proactive warnings against fraudulent online retailers directly within the browser, offering Austrian consumers enhanced protection while shopping online.

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Research projects of Watchlist Internet

Consumer Protection Cybercrime Cybersecurity Fraud Fraud Detection Online Shopping

Watchlist Internet is an independent online platform dedicated to combating Internet fraud. The ÖIAT initiative informs individuals and companies about current cases of Internet fraud. It also provides tips on how to protect oneself against Internet fraud. The research department of ÖIAT is linked to the work of Watchlist Internet in many projects, especially in the areas of fraud detection and prevention.

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Youth Internet Monitor

Children & Young People Social Media

The Youth Internet Monitor is a representative study conducted annually on behalf of Saferinternet.at. It analyses how and which social networks and online platforms are used by young people (aged 11 to 17) in Austria and how their media use is changing.

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eMarketShield

2024/10 – 2026/09
Consumer Protection Food Safety

The distribution of dangerous or unauthorized products as well as misleading, false promises pose safety risks for consumers in Austria – and are currently inadequately addressed on the internet. The eMarketShield project aims to enhance customer safety in online commerce, with a specific focus on dietary supplements and goods subject to the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Act (LMSVG). The results are intended to contribute to market surveillance for all product categories sold online.

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SafeNEM - Safety & Quality in Food Supplements

2024/09 – 2026/08
Food Safety Fraud Detection Online Shopping

People's health is at risk because the digital distribution of dietary supplements makes it easier for dubious and criminal actors to enter the market. SafeNEM is therefore developing 'Alertify', a toolkit that semi-automatically identifies products advertised online with illegal ingredients, problematic product labelling and dishonest health claims.

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defame Fakes – Detection of Deepfakes and Media Manipulation of Images and Videos

2024/01 – 2026/01
Artificial Intelligence Deepfakes Disinformation

What potential threat scenarios does society and the state face with the rise of generative artificial intelligence? In this KIRAS project, led by the AIT in collaboration with various partners, we are exploring methods to detect deepfakes and, most importantly, strategies to mitigate these risks through preventive measures.

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CLEMENTINE - Cybersecurity Literacy in Knowledge Transfer for Upper Secondary Education in Austria

2024/10 – 2025/09
Children & Young People Cybersecurity Digital Literacy

The digitization forms an essential basis for progress towards a contemporary society. Against the backdrop of high development dynamics in the field of cybersecurity on the one hand, and in anticipation of upcoming breakthroughs in other emerging and disruptive technologies, it is crucial to further advance society's awareness of cybersecurity. Lack of awareness and knowledge regarding the complex topic of cybersecurity pose challenges to companies across industries. Unfiltered data access and unrestricted sharing of data and content on the internet offer new, easily and rapidly exploitable attack surfaces for cybercriminals. Therefore, CLEMENTINE addresses research needs to integrate cybersecurity into school education.

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StopFraud

2023/07 – 2025/06
Fraud Detection Online Shopping

For online retailers it is increasingly difficult to persist in today’s market conditions. The dominance of big players and a lack of customer trust are inconveniences, however, the activities of fraudulent players put additional pressure on retailers. By using the same marketing tools as reputable e-commerce companies like advertising on social media and in search engines, criminal actors are suppressing the visibility of legitimate actors on online platforms. The strategic ACR project StopFraud aims to combat these fraudulent players in e-commerce, to strengthen small and medium businesses in Austria.

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Generative Artificial Intelligence and Consumer Protection

2024/08 – 2025/01
Artificial Intelligence Consumer Protection Discrimination & Bias

The project aims to investigate the extent to which generative AI technology affects Austrian consumers in customer-facing applications. It will analyze the potential impacts of generative AI on consumer experiences and identify relevant applications currently in use. Additionally, the project will develop case studies that illustrate the implications of generative AI on consumers; including the examination of the legal, economic, and societal implications associated with these applications. Lastly, the study will assess best and worst practices that may influence the effects of generative AI on consumer interactions.

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Fight Fakes

2024/01 – 2025/01
Artificial Intelligence Deepfakes Disinformation Gamification

As generative AI becomes more accessible, deepfakes are on the rise. In "Fight Fakes", we are developing a learning environment where young people can practice recognizing (deep) fakes quickly, intuitively and playfully.

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