Privacy in the Era of Data discusses how data brokers play a significant role in the international trade of data, yet operate outside the knowledge of most individuals. With the international trade of data, often personal data is being exchanged. Unavoidably this has an impact on individuals' privacy. The GDPR, requires proper transparency in processing personal data. Articles 12 to 14 of the GDPR set forth very precisely defined requirements for data controllers to provide a high level of transparency when processing personal data.However, many organisations do not consistently comply with these requirements despite attention from data protection authorities. In multiple countries in the EU and in the US, data brokers and other organisations that were making profits by monetising personal data were fined for not providing sufficient transparency to individuals concerned. The author argues that: (i) more information notices does not lead to better transparency and (ii) authorities enforcing the GDPR’s transparency principle are fighting an uphill battle. The author explains how the GDPR’s transparency principle is not serving its purpose for protecting privacy of all individuals in the era of data and that a new approach is needed.
More information on the thesis
