LW656-6-SP-CO:
Data Protection
2024/25
Essex Law School
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 13 January 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
15
04 March 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
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Have you clicked on ‘Accept all cookies’ recently? Do you know what your consent entails? In the Information Age, the processing of personal data has become a central asset for the private and public sectors. Legal frameworks have emerged worldwide to regulate the processing of personal data to protect individuals, addressing questions such as autonomy, privacy, and the right to control information.
This module explores the legal principles underpinning data protection law and critically evaluates its application across several prominent fields (i.e., media, digital markets, government surveillance, and consumer contracts).
The aims of this module are:
- To raise students’ awareness about the protection of personal data and critically evaluate the impact of personal data processing in the society;
- To develop knowledge of the legal framework governing the processing of personal data and critically assess them;
- To develop students’ understanding of governing personal data protection in key technologies, such as cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence;
- To enable students to engage with the legal framework by applying the existing framework to a number of case studies, such as data protection in media, digital markets, and government surveillance.
By the end of the module, students will be expected to:
- Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the legal framework governing personal data protection.
- Critically evaluate the current and emerging legal and policy issues and challenges in data protection.
- Demonstrate an ability to apply the law and reach reasoned conclusions from complex theoretical or problem-based data protection law-related scenarios and provide advice and recommendations.
Indicative syllabus
- Introduction to data protection law
- Data governance and management
- Data protection case studies
This module will be delivered via:
Students are expected to undertake the reading before classes and be prepared to engage in discussion.
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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