Centre for Online-Safety, Safeguarding, Privacy and Identity
Pioneering world-leading, interdisciplinary research in online harm, well-being, privacy and identity.
COSPI (Centre for Online-Safety, Safeguarding, Privacy and Identity) was established in 2024 at City, University of London.
It pioneers world-leading research in innovation, commercialisation and policy, centred around socio-technical aspects of cyber security - combining technical and human behaviour sciences to address some of the immediate enterprise and societal challenges.
The Centre’s primary focus is exploring experiences of online harm, well-being, privacy and identity, including potential pathways to harm, its perceived and actual impact, and the perceptions and use of online protections and safeguarding. The research focus of COSPI is organised around three core interdisciplinary themes:
- Online Safety – interpreting the duties and expectations of the Online Safety Act, and how to meet them.
- Safeguarding & Cyber Wellness – the challenges of online abuse, responsible online behaviour, cyberbullying and “linked” violence in everyday cyberspace and education.
- Identity & digital trust management – digital personas, online identity, cybercrime, & online trust, vetting processes
COSPI’s research community is focused on what the future of digital human safety looks like and how diverse communities can safely and securely navigate the future decentralised internet.
News, Upcoming Events & Recent Publications
- Latest publication: COSPI Briefing - Digital ID
- Upcoming event: Roundtable on Age Verification 29.04.26 (closed event)
- Upcoming event: Digital Worlds and Tactile Practices: Exploring digitality though creative methods 14.05.26 (Early Career Researcher Conference)
Partnerships & Collaborations
COSPI’s focus on applied interdisciplinary research means it collaborates closely with a range of internal and external partners.
