The Past, Present, and Future of European Data Regulation

Is contemporary privacy and data protection regulation—which is based on defining and protecting separate data categories—still viable in the 21st century? This open access book assesses whether European data regulation can be amended in light of contemporary technological developments. In an era when data powers our daily lives, economies and societies, data regulation is essential. However, European data regulation is still premised on concepts and foundations that were developed more than 50 years ago. The book offers an in-depth exploration of the European data regulatory landscape, from its historical roots to the challenges posed by new technological advancements. Through a detailed legal and technical analysis, it explores key data categories – such as anonymised, pseudonymised, aggregated, sensitive data, and metadata – highlighting their fluid and changing nature and the growing possibilities for transitioning between them. By identifying regulatory tensions and challenges arising from various technologies, such as AI, Big Data and quantum computing, the book offers policymakers, legal scholars, computer scientists and data protection experts different perspectives on how to reshape future privacy and data protection legislation in a rapidly advancing technological world. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.