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Information Privacy in Europe from a TA Perspective

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Data Protection in a Profiled World

Abstract

This chapter presents the results from a joint project of European Parliamentary Technology Assessment institutions on information and communication technologies (ICT) and privacy. It reflects the outcome of 28 projects from 7 countries. These TA projects were analysed under a common framework. The analysis rendered a set of challenges for European policy and finally several policy options on how to deal with these challenges.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For a brief discussion of different approaches towards “security”, the historical development and recent EU-policy in this field see: (Raguse et al. 2008). Further reading: (Daase et al. 2002; ÖAW 2005; Study Group on Europe’s Security Capabilities 2004; Hayes 2006; Eriksson and Giacomello 2007; von Bredow 2005; Council of Europe 2003).

  2. 2.

    For a theoretical analysis of participatory TA in Europe and a comprehensive overview of participatory methods used in Technology Assessment see (Joss and Bellucci 2002; Stef Steyaert and Hervé Lisoir 2005).

  3. 3.

    For further information on EPTA and especially on the TA projects undertaken by its members, please refer to the EPTA website at http://www.eptanetwork.org/EPTA/.

  4. 4.

    Methods used in the underlying projects were: desktop research, expert interviews, citizens’ panels, consensus conferences, desktop research, expert panels/work groups and focus group studies (Klüver 2006, p. 103ff)

  5. 5.

    Teknologirådet (Denmark), Teknologirådet (Norway), the UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), ViwTA from Flanders, TA-SWISS and ITA from Austria.

  6. 6.

    https://www.european-privacy-seal.eu/.

  7. 7.

    Web 2.0 applications and their consequences for future generations are one example, and are now being dealt with at national and international level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Technology Assessment, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria

    Walter Peissl

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  1. Walter Peissl
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Correspondence to Walter Peissl .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Law, Science, Technology & Society, (LSTS), Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, Bruxelles, 1050, Belgium

    Serge Gutwirth

  2. Research Centre for Information, Technology & Law, University of Namur, Rempart de la Vierge 5, Namur, 5000, Belgium

    Yves Poullet

  3. Center for Law, Science, Technology, and Society Studies (LSTS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, 1050, Belgium

    Paul De Hert

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Peissl, W. (2010). Information Privacy in Europe from a TA Perspective. In: Gutwirth, S., Poullet, Y., De Hert, P. (eds) Data Protection in a Profiled World. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8865-9_14

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