The Risks of Data-Intensive Systems

Abstract:

Governments across the world are radically changing policies and infrastructure, in the hope of enabling economic opportunity and attracting international investment, securing their societies, and strengthening institutions. Innovations in policies, business models, and technologies enable governments to collect ever more data about people. New systems process data on large scales, generating intelligence on individuals, groups, markets, and societies. Consequently, researchers require new understandings around law, technology, the value of data, and the risks to rights of individuals and groups.

About this course:

This course will address how governments are deploying new systems and policies that promote the creation of vast amounts of data on people. It will explore how these affect individuals’ abilities to determine and control data about them, the information interpreted from it, the intelligence generated, and how these radical changes affect rights. There are examples from developed and developing economies, showing how the deployment of data-intensive systems is a global phenomenon requiring a comprehensive response. One which ensures systems are designed and implemented respecting privacy and other fundamentals rights for socio-economic development, political stability, and human security.

What do I learn:

You’ll learn to explore concepts and definitions related to data-intensive systems from both a legal and technological perspective. You’ll get an overview of their use in history, how they are set up today, what’s different today, and the likely systems of tomorrow. You’ll develop your expertise in undertaking problem analyses of these initiatives and you’ll be trained to question and challenge them.

What do I need to know:

This course is for people with a background in research, law, or social science, working or with an interest in developing their knowledge of the human rights field on topics surrounding privacy. It is strongly recommended to have taken the courses Right to Privacy: Introduction and Principles and Right to Privacy: Data and Surveillance.

Trainers

Melissa Bryant

Melissa Bryant is a Communications Officer at Privacy International. She has worked as a journalist and a campaigner/facilitator.

Privacy International

Privacy International is committed to fighting for the right to privacy across the world. We litigate to ensure that surveillance is consistent with the rule of law. And advocate for strong national, regional, and international laws that protect privacy, conducting research to catalyse policy change.