Law for IT Specialists

Society is becoming ever more reliant on the digital environment. Individuals are increasingly using the social media and Internet for communication purposes and for documenting their lives publically, while commercial actors are using these technologies in order to become more effective and profitable in an increasingly competitive business environment. However, with the increased reliance by society on these digital technologies, concerns with how these technologies are affecting people have arisen. This in turn has given rise to the creation of a substantial body of law that attempts to regulate this technology.

Consequently, IT specialists and technicians are increasingly being required not only to make judgements of a legal character but are also increasingly being required to communicate with lawyers.

This course addresses the expectations that IT specialists be aware of the legal issues surrounding the increased use of digital technology. First, it addresses what the law is as well as what the law’s main function within society is. Second, it addresses a number of legal concepts that IT specialists are increasingly being required to implement, for example, “privacy” and “data protection”. Third, this course will investigate a number of legal instruments that are currently of particular interest for the IT sector. In this regard, a special focus will be placed on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that took effect on 25 May 2018. Finally, the course will examine the emergence of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as some legal consequences thereof.

The main aim of this course is to provide IT specialists with the necessary knowledge that is required in order to address the demands placed on them because of working in a sector that is increasingly the object of legal regulation. In doing so, it will allow IT specialists more readily to identify and understand the dominant legal issues and enable them to more easily communicate with legal practitioners.

Course outline:
– A basic study of what law is
– A basic study of the function of law
– The examination of some IT-related legal concepts
– The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018/679
– Artificial intelligence, predictive modelling and the law
– Ethical considerations and the future role of the law