Seminar in Information Privacy

We live in a world of ubiquitous data. Dramatic advances in digital technologies have greatly expanded the volume of personal data created as we engage in everyday activities. This poses significant challenges for law. Nowhere is this more true that in the case of privacy. Defining the rules governing the use of personal data is a critical task with significant ramifications for individuals, institutions, the government, our economy, our security, and our civil rights. This seminar will address those challenges. We will explore a handful of important, current privacy controversies, such as privacy and national security, privacy online and social networking, and privacy reform in the United States and Europe. The goal is not only for you to develop a deeper level of knowledge about these key areas, but also a deeper understanding of the dynamics of privacy law and policy debates more broadly. Grading will be based primarily on a research paper you will complete on one of the substantive privacy issues we discuss in class or another current, important privacy topic, and on your participation in those in-class discussions.