How many times do you check your phone on a regular day? How much content do you post in social networks? Do you have the feeling that your mobile phone listens to what you say and shows you advertisements on the topics that you talk about? Do you continuously receive non-solicited calls from telephone companies offering new deals and promotions? If you feel identified with the above questions and are concerned on how your privacy is safeguarded, this elective is for you.

In Today’s business world, data has become one of the main assets most companies rely on to effectively conduct their day-to-day activities. Technology on the other hand is a sector that has experienced fast growth and that is in constant development. Think about the music sector: from 2000-2011 consumers went from buying CD albums, to downloading music (surrounded by polemic), to music streaming via Spotify. Technology not only shaped where music is contained but how we listen to it in those years: from big CD players to wireless earbuds connecting through Bluetooth to our smart phones. Combining personal information and technology allows companies to analyse human behaviour at a quick pace, extracting valuable conclusions that will be implemented in company strategy and product development. An example of the above can be identified in the marketing sector, where companies identify user demands and target clients with customised ads through their favourite social network. Combining technologies with different sources (e.g., websites visited, Instagram likes and other interactions, and opened emails) helps marketing teams profile us with great precision. Although the rapid development of technology reports many benefits to the population, when wrongfully used, technology can condition safety and expose us. A clear legal framework that sets barriers is essential to ensure technology develops in strict alignment with fundamental rights and society values. In 2016, the European Union revolutionised the personal data protection framework with the General Data Protection Regulation. In the upcoming years, new sets of regulations (e.g., Digital Services Act or the AI Act) will regulate and bring more transparency to other technological developments.

In accordance with the increasingly prominent use of data processing practices by companies, the innovative applications these may have in almost any business sector and the regulatory novelties that have happened and will happen over the following years, this course aims to give students a practical insight on the main privacy law and technology implications that companies and individuals must be aware of before processing individuals’ personal data.