Last modified: 31 May 2022 13:05
The course examines the regulation of biometric data and profiling in the European Union and the United Kingdom and it is designed in a way to assess the balance between the development of technology and the regulation process. It also deals with the ethical, social and human rights aspects of the issue, and it is aimed to develop innovative legal thinking which can solve the “privacy paradox”.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Technology has had a huge impact on society: It makes human lives easier to a large extent by providing them with multiple online services, quick access to information, multiple platforms for communication and work, and much more. It has its downsides as well, of course. Hacking, unlawful surveillance, and cybercrime are just some of them. What makes the society especially vulnerable with respect to consumers and citizens is the general social acceptance of sharing our personal data, e.g., on social networks, smartphone applications, and through other means, relating to our physical, physiological and/or behavioural characteristics (biometric data). This data-sharing can have severe implications on our freedoms and privacy, and this course is going to explore these implications and what lawyers can and should do in terms of the regulation of biometric data.
This course explores and analyses the development of the technology collecting, storing and processing of our biometric data, and the parallel development of regulation of these processes. It examines the role played by law in the protection of society and focuses on this current legal problem and the related ethical and social arguments. The main discussion will revolve around the issues of the “privacy paradox” phenomenon, the right to privacy, and in finding the way to strike the right balance in regulating this sector.
Some of the questions that are discussed:
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
2x 2500 word essay 50% each for LLB
2x 3000 word essay 50% each for MA
Resit: resubmission of failed elements
There are no assessments for this course.
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | To gain knowledge and understanding of the regulation of all special categories of personal data, with emphasis on biometric data. |
| Reflection | Create | To communicate orally and in writing information, advice and choices in an effective manner. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | To develop a critical understanding of the approach of the European Court for Human Rights to the enforcement of the right to privacy. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | To develop a critical understanding of how regulators, legislators, and national courts approach the notion and regulation of biometric data and the enforcement of the respective rights and freedoms |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | To analyse and evaluate the role of the legislators, regulators and courts in the exercise of the regulation of biometric data and the relation to the social and practical implications of the tech. |
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