LW368-7-AU-CO:
Digital Technologies, Law and Society
2024/25
Essex Law School
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 13 December 2024
15
10 May 2024
Requisites for this module
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LLM M1J912 Law and Technology
How do digital technologies and their regulation impact on society? We are currently living in a "digital society". It suffices to think about our daily private communications, the electronic systems often used to book public services, the facial recognition systems used to control States' borders or the blockchain technology employed to conclude and perform contracts. All these activities are carried out via digital systems. These new technologies have prompted a new wave of regulation concerning data management, online platforms, artificial intelligence, and algorithms. However, not all societal areas impacted by technologies are currently governed through sector-specific regulation, leaving several questions on adapting pre-existing frameworks and whether new ad-hoc rules are required.
This module will offer students an overview of the most pressing challenges emerging in the digital society from a legal, regulatory and societal perspective. Through its ten seminars, the course will study and analyse the regulatory frameworks that currently govern digital technologies and will assess how effectively these rules regulate selected technologies and their implications in society.
The aims of this module are:
- To identify and critically assess current legal problems in the field of digital technologies and their impact in society.
- To understand the functioning of new technologies.
- To develop knowledge of the rules governing digital technologies, including data, online platforms, AI and algorithms, especially in the UK and Europe (i.e. Council of Europe), and the ability to critically assess them.
- To gain an understanding of the existing framework and enforcement mechanisms in the field of digital technologies.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the various digital technologies.
- Demonstrate an in--depth understanding of the laws and frameworks in place to regulate those technologies.
- Critically evaluate the effectiveness of relevant regulatory frameworks.
- Identify, explain and critically examine the current regulatory gaps and challenges with reference to digital technologies.
- Reflect on the value of AI and technologies, its benefits, limits and challenges.
Syllabus information
The module will examine a range of issues impacting digital technologies and their impact in law and society, including in relation to data, online platforms, AI and blockchain technologies. The module will explore the Data Protection Framework and the borderless nature of data, including personal data international transfers; online safety, algorithmic decision-making and individual autonomy, AI regulation and AI justice, and new technologies and consumer law.
This module will be delivered via:
- One 2 hour lecture per week
- One 1 hour tutorial per week
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
No
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
Essex Law School
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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