Balancing Business Innovation with Data Protection? Regulating the Digital Age

The conundrum of facilitating both innovative business activity through the internet while also protecting personal data formed the core theme of this workshop organised by the Oxford Regulation Discussion Group. Thirty five workshop participants, including speakers from legal practice, academia, regulators, such as the Information Commissioner’s Office, and industry, such as the UK Internet Advertising Bureau, discussed a range of highly topical issues at this event organised by the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies and Wolfson College on 26 January. Discussions included the merits of co- and self-regulation, how personal data are actually used in advertising practices, and the challenges to European Union and national approaches to personal data protection raised by globalizing internet businesses. In his key note address Professor Christopher Kuner from the University of Copenhagen highlighted problems posed by cloud technology to the legal regulation of transborder data flows, and the problematic interface between human rights and information law.

This successful workshop, organized by Dr Bettina Lange, Dr Asma Vranaki and Hui Xui also benefitted from the support of Macquarie University and the Foundation for Law, Justice and Society.