Last modified: 22 Jul 2026 13:41
The course aims to introduce students to the foundations of data protection law, exploring its international, European, and national dimension.
The course addresses, in particular, the role of data protection regulation in the digital environment, critically discussing key global challenges, such as the impact of artificial intelligence on data subject's rights, the challenges of data protection compliance, the balance between the right to data protection and other fundamental freedoms.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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We live in the information society. We produce millions of terabytes of data every day through our economic activity, online behaviours, interaction on social media, use of smart objects, queries on GenAl tools, etc. Moreover, thanks to cloud computing, Big Data, and machine learning, we now have the computational resources to extract value from this information and re-use it for various purposes.
Still, much of this information is about "us" and, in some cases, it relates to a very intimate and sensitive sphere.
How is all this information processed and governed? Who can use it and for what legitimate purposes? And what rights do we enjoy as "data subjects"?
The right to data protection offers a first primer for understanding and answering such questions. In the course, we will explore how the law regulates personal information and its free movement.
The knowledge of such areas of the law is crucial not only for becoming aware our digital rights and the fundamental mechanics of the online environment. The processing of personal data is also an essential activity in any business organisation and public institution, creating the need for new figures and legal professions (e.g., the data protection officer).
The course aims to introduce students to the core aspects of data protection law, exploring its international, European, and national dimension. Against this backdrop, it will tackle the most pressing issues emerging in the policy and doctrinal debate by critically discussing the role of data protection regulation in the digital environment.
The course will be divided in two parts. The first one will be dedicated to data protection law fundamentals, and it will revolve around core topics, such as:
1) The right to privacy and the right to data protection: an international overview.
2) The EU and UK data protection framework (part I): fundamental principles, key concepts, and rationale.
3) The EU and UK data protection framework (part II): procedures and remedies.
In the second part of the course, students will be asked to apply their knowledge and critically engage with key global data privacy challenges, such as:
4) Personal or not personal? The blurred boundaries of anonymisation in the Big Data society
5) The right to explanation to automated decisions.
6) GenAl and data protection challenges.
No previous technical knowledge is required. The legal analysis might sometimes require a basic understanding of certain technical aspects of a technology. In such cases, a computer science expert (Dr Arabella Sinclair) will provide an easy-to-follow explanation in a way that it is accessible to all students, regardless of their non-specialist background.
This course is offered as part of the Erasmus Jean Monnet Chair in "Fair Digital Transition", a prestigious award of the EU Commission for innovative teaching and learning activities.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
The feedback will be provided in written form and in accordance with the Common Grading Scale. The feedback will be provided within three weeks as of submission, in accordance with the School’s and University’s policies. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Apply | To apply the knowledge and concepts acquired in concrete case scenarios, such as international data transfer, the explainability of artificial intelligence, sharing data in the public interest. |
| Procedural | Understand | To gain knowledge and understanding of the foundations of Privacy and Data Protection Law at the international, European, and UK level. |
| Reflection | Analyse | To analyse the conflict between data protection and other fundamental rights and interests. |
| Reflection | Create | To communicate orally and in writing information, advice and choices in an effective and persuasive manner. |
| Reflection | Evaluate | To evaluate the legal implications of emerging technologies, their impact on society, policymaking, and the future of legal professions. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Students will have to write a case comment to a decision that will be assigned by the teaching staff. The feedback will be provided in written form and in accordance with the Common Grading Scale. The feedback will be provided within three weeks as of submission, in accordance with the School’s and University’s policies. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Apply | To apply the knowledge and concepts acquired in concrete case scenarios, such as international data transfer, the explainability of artificial intelligence, sharing data in the public interest. |
| Procedural | Understand | To gain knowledge and understanding of the foundations of Privacy and Data Protection Law at the international, European, and UK level. |
| Reflection | Create | To communicate orally and in writing information, advice and choices in an effective and persuasive manner. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Re-submission of failed element in re-sit diet; the failed course will be capped at grade 09 (D3). |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Create | To communicate orally and in writing information, advice and choices in an effective and persuasive manner. |
| Reflection | Evaluate | To evaluate the legal implications of emerging technologies, their impact on society, policymaking, and the future of legal professions. |
| Reflection | Analyse | To analyse the conflict between data protection and other fundamental rights and interests. |
| Procedural | Apply | To apply the knowledge and concepts acquired in concrete case scenarios, such as international data transfer, the explainability of artificial intelligence, sharing data in the public interest. |
| Procedural | Understand | To gain knowledge and understanding of the foundations of Privacy and Data Protection Law at the international, European, and UK level. |
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