Ambient assisted living (AAL) technologies are increasingly presented and sold as essential smart additions to daily life and home environments that will radically transform the healthcare and wellness markets of the future. An ethical approach and a thorough understanding of all ethics in surveillance/monitoring architectures are therefore pressing. AAL poses many ethical challenges raising questions that will affect immediate acceptance and long-term usage. Furthermore, ethical issues emerge from social inequalities and their potential exacerbation by AAL, accentuating the existing access gap between high-income countries (HIC) and low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Legal aspects mainly refer to the adherence to existing legal frameworks and cover issues related to product safety, data protection, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and access to data by public, private, and government bodies. Successful privacy-friendly AAL applications are needed, as the pressure to bring Internet of Things (IoT) devices and ones equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) quickly to market cannot overlook the fact that the environments in which AAL will operate are mostly private (e.g., the home). The social issues focus on the impact of AAL technologies before and after their adoption. Future AAL technologies need to consider all aspects of equality such as gender, race, age and social disadvantages and avoid increasing loneliness and isolation among, e.g. older and frail people. Finally, the current power asymmetries between the target and general populations should not be underestimated nor should the discrepant needs and motivations of the target group and those developing and deploying AAL systems. Whilst AAL technologies provide promising solutions for the health and social care challenges, they are not exempt from ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI). A set of ELSI guidelines is needed to integrate these factors at the research and development stage.

Integrating information technology (IT) into emergency responseproduces complex intended and unintended, positive and negative consequences, reaching from enhanced efficienciesto new digital divides. This deliverable presents an analysis of core ethical, legal and socialissues that practitioners and other stakeholders currently encounter in multi-agency collaboration. The report provides a broad overview and an inventory of international coordination initiatives and standarisation activities. The focus lies on issues that are relevant to innovation in IT supported forms of multi-agency emergencyresponse. We examine current approaches and practices of managing these issues, combining literature review with insights from empirical investigations. The purpose of the work summarised here is to inform socio-technicalinnovation in system of systemapproaches to large-scale multi-agency emergency response, and this purpose defines the scope of discussions. Utilization of the document for this purpose is supported by a glossary and an extensive index. The report concludes with a summary.

This paper explores the extent to which technology providers are responsible to end users for embedding data protection rules in the AI systems they design and develop, so as to safeguard the fundamental rights to privacy and data protection. The main argument set forth is that a relational rationale, requiring a broader range of actors in the supply chain to share legal responsibility for Data Protection by Design (DPbD) is better suited to address infringements to these fundamental rights than the current model that assigns responsibility mainly to the data controller or data processor. Reconceptualizing the law in a more future-oriented, relational, and distributed way would make it possible to adapt legal rules – including those within the GDPR and the continuously evolving EU acquis – to the complex reality of technology development, at least partly addressing the responsibility gap in DPbD.

A future-oriented conception of responsibility would require technology providers to adopt more proactive approaches to DPbD, even where they are unlikely to qualify as a controller. A relational approach to DPbD would require technology providers to bear greater responsibilities to those individuals or groups that are affected by their design choices. A distributed approach to DPbD would allow for downstream actors in the supply chain to bear part of the legal responsibility for DPbD by relying on legal requirements that are applicable to various actors in the supply chain supporting DPbD such as those found in contract law, liability law, and the emerging EU acquis governing AI, data, and information security.

Lifelogging technologies have the capacity to transform the health and social care landscape in a way that few could have imagined. Indeed, the emergence of lifelogging technologies within the context of healthcare presents incredible opportunities to diagnose illnesses, engage in preventative medicine, manage healthcare costs and allow the elderly to live on their own for longer periods. These technologies, however, require coherent legal regulation in order to ensure, among other things, the safety of the device and privacy of the individual. When producing lifelogging technologies, it is important that developers understand the legal framework in order to create a legally compliant device. The current regulation of lifelogging is highly fragmented, consisting of a complex patchwork of laws. There are also a number of different regulatory agencies involved. Laws and regulations vary, depending on jurisdiction, making development of these technologies more challenging, particularly given the fact that many lifelogging tools have an international dimension.

Universities around the globe have been profoundly affected by stay-at-home orders, which have required them to close their doors and shift to online teaching and learning. In an effort to avoid delaying or postponing examinations amid the Covid-19 outbreak, many higher-education institutions have turned to online proctoring tools, raising complex questions about how they can ensure the integrity of online assessments while at the same time respect ethical and legal constraints, especially regarding students’ fundamental rights to privacy, data protection and non-discrimination. In particular, universities are increasingly relying on AI-based facial recognition technologies (FRT) that can be used to authenticate remote users that connect from offsite the campus as well as to identify cheating and other dubious behavior throughout the online exam process.

Research and development (R&D) in the pharmaceutical sector traditionally operated with in closed, siloed institutional settings, driven by intellectual property rights concerns that viewed data sharing as a threat. However, the evolving scientific landscape demands a more collaborative approach involving external engagement and dynamic partnerships. To address this, a hybrid contractual framework combining smart contracts, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and traditional licensing schemes is introduced. This framework was developed through an experimental pilot platform that adhered to FAIR data principles, allowing participants to store, find, and reuse data related to drug discovery. The platform utilizes blockchain technology to document real-world assets in an immutable digital ledger. Smart contracts and NFTs offer an open and global collaborative platform for advancing drug research assets, overcoming hurdles related to standardization, interoperability, and disclosure. This framework aims to reconcile the conflict between the demand for greater data sharing and the protection of rightsholder interests in pharmaceutical R&D. By providing mechanisms for resolving practical challenges, it facilitates further cooperation and innovation in the field. 

Creative AI (notably GANs and VAEs) can generate convincing fakes of video footage, pictures, graphics, etc. In order to conceptualize the societal role of creative AI a new conceptual toolbox is needed. The paper provides metaphors and concepts for understanding the functioning of creative AI. It shows how the role of creative AI in relation to FAT ideals can be enriched by a dynamic and constructivist understanding of creative AI. The paper proposes to use Greimas’ actantial model as a heuristic in the operationalization of this type of understanding of creative AI.

Användningen av molntjänster på internet har ökat markant under senare år och utgör redan en väsentlig del av företagens informationshantering. På motsvarande sätt tilltar behovet av insyn i och granskning av dessa ”utrymmen”, t.ex. för skattekontroll. Den tämligen gränslösa och flexibla molnmiljön är emellertid svårnavigerad då lagring sker externt och ibland över flera jurisdiktioner. Kontrollmöjligheterna är begränsade. I målet HFD 2021 ref. 23 klargjordes att bevissäkring i molnet inte är möjlig, då det saknas lagstöd. En teknikanpassad reglering av bevissäkringsreglerna framstår därför som angelägen. I artikeln företas en analys av gällande rätt om bevissäkring i molnet och diskussion om möjliga regleringsmodeller. 

The use of personal care robots in caregiving raises many different ethical and legal dilemmas regarding privacy and personal data, as well as concerns in relation to human dignity and the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment. At a more fundamental level, this raises two central issues. First, the question is whether an inidivual can claim a right to human contact and to be cared for by humans, in an increasingly digitalized and robotized society. If so, a second question arises: on which legal grounds and to what extent, can such a right be asserted in relation to robotized caregiving? What would the ethical and legal consequences be if the care of humans were turned over to robots for long periods of time? The purpose of this paper is to provide certain reflections on the legal grounds for a possible right to human caregiving and related issues, which as a general legal framework could affect the way in which care robots can be introdced into caregiving. If there is a rigt to be left alone, is there also a right not to be left alone? 

Predictive tools for child protection based on AI have, with varying success, been developed in different parts of the world. Some examples are the Vulnerable Children Predictive Risk Model of New Zealand from 2012, the Allegheny Family Screening Tool used by Allegheny County in Pennsylvania in the U.S. since 2014 and the Early Help Profiling System of Hackney County Council, London, U.K. In Scandinavia the Gladsaxe-model from Copenhagen, Denmark, seems to have been the first in the region as it was ready in 2018. In Sweden, the municipality of Norrtälje launched an AI tool to analyse cases based on preliminary warning referrals in 2020, to help in the detection of future cases of child maltreatment.

It could be argued that such tools in general will help prevent maltreatment of children and enable social services to become more effective in their outreach work and thus the provision of support to children at high risk at a lower cost. The struggle to provide more effective child welfare and the reality of substantial funding cuts, common to the authorities in many European countries, increases the interest in such systems. Contrary to the promise and hopes for AI tools is the fact that the use of such tools for child protection, comes with multiple risks from a children’s rights perspective. This is certainly the case regarding the use of predictive risk modelling (PRM) in child welfare.

The purpose of this paper is to give a preliminary overview and analysis regarding the design and use of AI tools to identify children at high risk of maltreatment in relation to relevant children’s rights. Are such child protection tools aligned with children’s rights as laid down in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the European Convention of Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights? And to what extent?

The 2019 EU whistleblowing directive (WBD) was enacted to strengthen the position of whistleblowers and provide more effective protection throughout the EU, not least through mandatory whistleblower functions now being implemented by large employers. The implementation of the directive in Sweden has been fairly swift, arguably as whistleblowing protection is already a part of Swedish legal culture.Whistleblower protection in Sweden has its historic roots in the 1766 Freedom of the Press Act. A reaction to corruption and secretive government, the drafters of the Act viewed the participation of citizens and civil servants through the freedom of informants and the right to access public documents as central checks on government. Over the centuries this freedom of informants has been strengthened through the addition of prohibitions on public agencies as to making inquiries into the identity of informants as well as reprisals. Nevertheless, it was not until 2016 that the first specific Whistleblower Act (WA) was introduced. The Act applies to both the public and private sectors. The WBD was implemented in 2021 through a new WA, lagen (2021:890) om skydd för den som rapporterar om missförhållanden, which builds on the 2016 Act but is significantly broader in scope. The aim of this paper is to analyze the evolution of whistleblower protection as well as the current system of the whistleblower legislation in Sweden leading up to the implementation of the WBD. Some reflections related to issues concerning legal culture are given, with the possible challenges regarding the integration of the new European rules in Sweden as well as an analysis of the effectiveness of the Swedish whistleblower protection system. The paper concludes that the implementation of the WBD in Swedish law strengthens whistleblower protection, but also creates a higher degree of complexity, which might lead to it being weakened in practice. Complexities might arise related to the fact that the constitutional protection has precedence over the WA. It might not be clear in all cases which provisions are to apply, which carries with it a risk that the current system will be confusing for potential whistleblowers. Another issue of concern is that the WA requires the whistleblower to follow certain procedures. Although this can create a comprehensible procedure and, in some ways, facilitate reporting of wrongdoings, it can also constitute a restraint on the freedom to report as the whistleblower sees fit together with, for example, a professional reporter. Furthermore, the fact that whistleblowers generally have to report through external reporting channels before he or she can go public might undermine the role of the media as the public watchdog as well as a corporate watchdog.     Moreover, there are still important access to justice issues related to whistleblowing in Sweden that need to be overcome, which has become clear in recent case law through e.g. the Grinnemo-case.     Despite these concerns, it is likely that whistleblower protection will evolve further with the new law and strengthen the safeguards for an effective whistleblower protection to the benefit of the transparency and the proper functioning of democratic societies. 

Syftet med denna studie är att analysera den rättsliga utvecklingen kring den offentliga förvaltningens roll att tillgängliggöra offentliga data i svensk rätt, utifrån offentlighetsprincipen och den så kallade PSI-lagstiftningen samt förhållandet dem emellan. Vidare ska trender analyseras, vissa framåtblickar göras och förslag lämnas de lege ferenda.

Den offentliga förvaltningen med sina stora datamängder har i någon mening alltid varit datadriven. Likväl har utvecklingen inom big data under de senaste decennierna, d.v.s. möjligheterna att kunna lagra och behandla betydande och varierande mängder data i allt högre hastigheter, inneburit att offentliga datamängder blivit en alltmer värdefull resurs för olika aktörer. Ur detta har en informationsmarknad växt fram som bygger på offentlig information. Offentliga datamängder tillgängliggörs och vidareutnyttjas antingen villkorat eller fritt för alla och envar, mot avgift eller kostnadsfritt i form av t.ex. Public Sector Information (PSI) eller s.k. öppna data. Data från flera myndigheter kan kombineras med varandra och med andra datakällor som kontinuerligt skapar nya tillämpningsområden. Inom EU har den s.k. dataekonomin etablerats. 

Den offentliga förvaltningen har härigenom fått en alltmer aktiv roll som tillgängliggörare och katalysator för dataekonomin, vilket drivs på av rättslig reglering såsom lagen (2022:818) om den offentliga sektorns tillgängliggörande av data, vilken utgör en implementering av det s.k. öppna data-direktivet.Icke desto mindre innebär denna utveckling också stora risker för såväl individen som staten. Det föreligger risker för massövervakning, diskriminering och desinformation. Demokratiprincipen, rättsstatliga värden och grundläggande rättigheter på vilka vår rättsordning vilar kan stå på spel, beroende på hur vi väljer att använda oss av den gemensamma resurs som offentliga data kan sägas utgöra. Likaså finns betydande risker för såväl informationssäkerheten som den nationella säkerheten, i synnerhet som det kan vara svårt att kontrollera hur stora offentliga datamängder används eller återanvänds av okända aktörer.

Samtidigt som det finns risk för missbruk och överutnyttjande av offentliga data, kan det också vara viktigt att beakta att ett underutnyttjande av en sådan tillgång kan leda till att förutsättningarna för ökad innovation, tillväxt, välfärd m.m. försämras. 

Den aktuella utvecklingen rörande vidareutnyttjande av offentlig information i vad som numera kallas dataekonomin är komplex och mångfacetterad.Det ökar behovet av ett integrerat regelverk. För närvarande föreligger parallella regelverk; 1) det nationella som tar sin utgångspunkt i offentlighetsprincipen som har sitt ursprung i lång tradition av främjandet av demokrati och yttrandefrihet samt motverkande av korruption och 2) den unionsrättsliga PSI-lagstiftningen med dess marknadsorienterade inriktning. Detta kräver en övergripande strategi från lagstiftarens sida om hur regelverken skulle kunna integreras på så sätt att de berikar varandra utan att grundläggande värden sätts ur spel. 

En annan problematik ligger i de komplicerade intresseavvägningar som aktualiseras vid beslut om vilka datamängder som ska vara tillgängliga för allmänheten. Det kan involvera såväl avvägningar mellan mänskliga rättigheter, t.ex. skyddet för den personliga integriteten och informationsfriheten, som avvägningar mellan principen om öppenhet å ena sidan och rikets säkerhet och informationssäkerhet å den andra. För sådana beslut föreslås i studien att en central beslutsinstans införs med erforderlig kompetens för att göra sådana avvägningar. Det komplexa beslutsfattandet som den aktuella lagstiftningen kräver, möter även utmaningar på begreppsnivån. Olika begrepp används inom de olika regelverken, nämligen ”handling” och ”offentliga data”, vilket inte framstår som en väl avvägd ordning. Vidare identifieras en diskrepans mellan begreppet data inom data- och systemvetenskapen och de juridiska begrepp som används, till vilket det saknas en uttrycklig förklaring och som kan inverka menligt på såväl rättssäkerhet som effektivitet. 

En annan fråga rör den trend som föreligger att tillgängliggöra offentliga data till låg kostnad eller gratis. Detta antas bidra till ökad ekonomisk välfärd i form av ökad sysselsättning, skatteintäkter samt innovation, vilket starkt påminner om den ekonomiska föreställningen om dynamiska effekter. Dessa antaganden bör bli föremål för ytterligare utvärdering, inte minst för att säkerställa att andra intressen som föreligger, såväl enskilda som nationella, kan upprätthållas. I viss mening framstår också kostnadsfria offentliga data som en ekonomisk subvention för vidareutnyttjarna som även kan ifrågasättas från ett likabehandlingsperspektiv.  

Studien visar på angelägenheten i att söka upprätthålla och konkretisera grundläggande värden och rättigheter som vår rättsordning vilar på i den nya big data-samhället. Det gäller särskilt hur den svenska offentlighetsprincipen ska upprätthållas i EU:s nya dataekonomi.

Författningssamlingen är anpassad till kurser i Rättsinformatik vid Stockholms universitet. Avsikten är att materialet ska vara behändigt även vid annan utbildning och praktik som avser juridiken i det digitaliserade samhället. Författningssamlingen i rättsinformatik kompletteras av en rättsfallssamling inom samma ämnesområde. Författningarna återges som de lyder den 1 juli 2023. 

Rättsfallssamlingen avspeglar kurser i Rättsinformatik vid Stockholms universitet. Avsikten är att materialet ska vara behändigt även vid annan utbildning och praktik som avser juridiken i det digitaliserade samhället. Innehållet är aktuellt per den 1 juli 2023. Rättsfallssamlingen i rättsinformatik kompletteras av en författningssamling inom samma ämnesområde. 

Sweden as a state emerged during the Middle Ages out of the chaos of tumultuous battles between rival clans. Around 1000 AD the different clans seem to have united under the reign of one king and gradually common institutions and central offices developed as well as a class structure consisting of the commoners, the priesthood, the aristocracy and the King. A parliament, the Riksdag, consisting of representatives of the different classes was formed. The Riksdag elected the kings and made decisions regarding war and taxation.

Sweden was an elective monarchy until the Riksdag of 1544, when Sweden was declared a hereditary monarchy. Kings were normally elected by the aristocracy and were usually of royal or aristocratic descent. Swedish kings were normally not as powerful as their European counterparts, being dependent on negotiations with the aristocracy in particular but also with the commoners. There were some rare exceptions involving periods of absolutism during the 17th Century  

The dialectical relationship between taxation and the political balance of power in Sweden has therefore mostly been formed by negotiations and the power relations of different classes. Here the commoners and the aristocracy played an important part.    

The development of taxation and democracy in Sweden can be attributed to many factors. Sweden did not become a more full-blown democracy until 1921. The road towards democracy in Sweden was not marked by war or revolution but occurred gradually over long periods of time. Although Sweden was a highly militarized state from the 16th Century to the 20th Century, Sweden has not endured any civil wars or revolutions.

Taxation and democracy have been closely tied, since the right to political influence and later the right to vote was linked to the individual’s status as taxpayer. In order to fully grasp this evolution, there are certain periods that stand out in Swedish history rather than particular iconic events. These will be described briefly below. Principles and traditions of taxation in medieval Sweden paved the way for the Swedish Empire between 1611-1721, which in turn left its marks on the constitutions of the Age of Liberty between 1719-1772 and in the Constitution of 1809, which was in force until 1975.  

In this chapter the tax history of Sweden is analyzed from the point of view of the dialectical relationship between taxation and the policical balance of power.

Developed countries around the world are facing crucial challenges regarding health and social care because of the demographic change and current economic context. Innovation in technologies and services for Active and Assisted Living stands out as a promising solution to address these challenges, while profiting from the economic opportunities. For instance, lifelogging technologies may enable and motivate individuals to pervasively capture data about them, their environment and the people with whom they interact, in order to receive a variety of services to increase their health, well-being and independence. In this context, the PAAL project presented in this paper has been conceived, with a manifold aim: to increase the awareness about the ethical, legal, social and privacy issues associated to lifelogging technologies; to propose privacy-aware lifelogging services for older people, evaluating their acceptability issues and barriers to familiarity with technology; to develop specific applications referred to relevant use cases for older and frail people.

Utbudet av elektroniska produkter med rättsinformation ökar. Likaså har möjligheterna att få tillgång till dessa breddats avsevärt. För inte alltför många år sedan fanns enbart ett fåtal on-line-databaser att tillgå. Att kunna nå en sådan via en uppringbar förbindelse var då något som var förunnat ett fåtal. Idag kan varje person med någon form av Internet-anslutning söka bland utlagda rättsinformationsprodukter. Några av dessa är renodlade Internet-tillämpningar.

I denna artikel kommer Juridiskt forum, en Internet-tjänst som tillhandahålls av Juridisk Informationsteknologi AB, JIT, att beskrivas.

Den 23:e Nordiska konferensen i rättsinformatik ägde rum i Stockholm 2008 och tog sig an temat ”IT Regulations and Policies: from Theory into Practice”. Huvudsyftet med konferensen var att formulera en juridisk agenda för reglering av IT och policy. De frågor som behandlades rörde bland annat hur man bör balansera kraven på ökad juridisk reglering och hur man bör ta hänsyn till de röster som vill ha mindre regler i informationssamhället. Därtill diskuterades vilka juridiska angreppssätt som är mest lämpliga.

Konferensen tog också upp problem som har blivit relevanta som en följd av samhällets användning av informations- och kommunikationsteknologi, bland annat: 

• Hur den personliga integriteten ter sig i framtiden.
• Hur immaterialrätten påverkas i informationssamhället.
• Hur man kan skydda den personliga integriteten och samtidigt främja informationssäkerheten.
• Vad begrepp som semantic web och sociala media har för betydelse för utvecklingen av juristers informationssökning.
• Hur kunskapshanteringssystem kommer att fungera i framtiden. 

I denna utgåva av Nordisk årsbok i rättsinformatik presenteras bidrag från flera av de talare som medverkade på konferensen. Boken belyser på så vis både aktuella frågor och utvecklingstendenser i informationssamhället.

The proliferation of digital technologies in healthcare creates two conflicting needs: protection of health data and the free flow of such data. Anonymisation and pseudonymisation hold the potential to play important roles in reconciling these two conflicting needs by enabling the processing of health data in a less privacy-intrusive manner. Taking a forward-looking perspective, this paper aims to contribute to the scholarly debate around anonymisation and pseudonymisation by extending the discussion to the contexts of forthcoming EU data laws, with a focus on the draft European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation. It does so by digging into the past, present and future of anonymisation and pseudonymisation in EU data laws. Starting with a positivist enquiry, the paper investigates the traces and evolution of anonymisation and pseudonymisation in EU data protection instruments from both before and after the entry into force of the General Data Protection Regulation. It then shifts focus to future EU data laws and examines the roles of anonymisation and pseudonymisation in these instruments, including the draft EHDS Regulation, the newly adopted EU Data Governance Act and the draft EU Data Act. Ultimately, the paper makes preliminary remarks and recommendations on the draft EHDS Regulation and questions to what extent its current incorporation of anonymisation and pseudonymisation can be reconciled with the health data sharing arrangements proposed in this Regulation.

Health- and social care are complex domains, requiring the collaboration of several professions and several care provider organizations within and between the domains. In this paper, we describe the collaboration between care providers in the Stockholm County and the municipality of Stockholm, highlighting how the information is exchanged, which IT system that supports the exchange, and legal prerequisites for the collaboration. We identify several problems in current practices, including the lack of system integration, and the underutilization of existing digital solutions. We also suggest several solutions aimed at improving the technical infrastructure for digital collaboration. These include the integration of IT systems, simplification of access to essential information, and the adoption of modern APIs to facilitate better communication among healthcare providers. We also present legal issues for the collaboration and how they can be addressed.

The series International Encyclopaedia for Cyber Law discusses legal issues that information and communication technology has given rise to. Each monograph in the Cyber Law Encyclopaedia covers the regulation of the ICT market, the protection of intellectual property, ICT contracts, electronic transactions, non-contractual liability, privacy protection and computer-related crime.

Besides editor and main author Christine Kirchberger, who covered intellectual property rights, electronic commerce and privacy protection, other colleagues and lawyers contributed with specific chapters. Johan Kahn, Law Firm Delphi, wrote on ICT contracts, Per Nordenson, Nordenson Law Firm, on alternative dispute resolution within the IT sector, Ulf Isaksson, Danowsky & Partners, on liability, Stanley Greenstein, Swedish Law & Informatics Research Institute, discussed cryptography and standardisation, Henrik Nilsson, Bird & Bird, focused on the regulation of the electronic communications sector, and Erik Wennerström, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, presented legal issues of computer-related crime.

The countries included in the Cyber Law Encyclopaedia are, among others, Australia, China, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom. Sweden is the 27th country to join the series, which is edited by Prof. Dr. Jos Dumortier, K.U. Leuven, Belgium.

While the Internet provides enormous opportunities within development of communications and database systems it also endangers the processing of personal data unlawfully. With traditional database structure in focus the responsibility and accountability of said processed personal data was somewhat clear as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) entered the legal framework of the European Union’s member states in May 2018. Blockchain technology being the latest innovation in database structure challenges the applicability of the new regulation by introducing cryptography and a peer-to-peer distributed ledger technology. This thesis is the result of an attempt to analyze the personal data processed in public blockchains, i.e. Bitcoin, and its compliance with certain fundamental data protection rights stipulated in the GDPR such as the right to erasure of personal data.

Furthermore, in relation to fundamental data protection rights violations are also subjects of accountability. While the new distributed ledger technology vastly increases the difficulty to determine a target for accountability the thesis also considers the traditional view on databases on which the GDPR was built upon. Thus, the thesis aims to further explore the relation between participants on the innovative blockchain and fundamental personal data protection rights in the GDPR.

This paper explores the concept of balancing interests within the context of Active Assisted Living (AAL). AAL technologies hold great promise for addressing the care and support needs of older adults. However, they also raise ethical and social considerations that necessitate a careful balance of interests among various stakeholders. The objective of this study is to comprehensively examine the notion of balance shedding light on its multifaceted dimensions and discuss practical implications for the AAL. Drawing on a thorough literature review and interdisciplinary insights, the research unfolds in three stages. First, it recognizes four key dimensions of balance: equilibrium, avoidance of extremes, proportion, and compromise. Subsequently, the study explores arguments both in favor of and against balancing, addressing issues such as absolute values, methodological concerns, benefits of imbalances, and alternative approaches. This examination offers a comprehensive perspective on the complexities surrounding the concept of balance. Finally, the paper investigates the implications of the conceptual framework within the AAL context, examining what the process of balancing interests could mean from this perspective. 

This paper conducts a legal analysis of the concept of nudity in the context of innovative technologies in selected European jurisdictions. The laws of Poland, Ireland, and the European Union are examined and compared in terms of their approach to the protection of nudity. The research finds that while there are similarities in the criminal laws of Poland and Ireland, there are also notable differences in the understanding of nudity. Additionally, the proposed EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence is examined in relation to the non-consensual distribution of intimate and manipulated images. The study concludes by recommending further research to clarify the legal definition of nudity, and to address the concerns of different individuals and groups with varying sensitivity towards nudity.

While AAL technologies continue to improve their effectiveness in assisting senior citizens, they also give rise to ethical and social concerns. This can be attributed to the diverse interests of various stakeholders involved. Achieving a balance among stakeholders' interests holds the potential to enhance users' trust in AAL technologies, thereby fostering greater acceptance of these innovations. A vital step in that process involves recognizing the stakeholders involved, along with their respective interests. This paper aims to identify and categorise the primary interests of users within the context of video-based AAL. To accomplish this, the paper begins by presenting the theoretical framework of the concept of interest, along with the methodologies employed for the identification of interests. Subsequently, the key interests pertaining to AAL users are determined. This is achieved by examining relevant scholarly works that discuss the interests of AAL users, and organizing them based on the underlying values they represent: personal autonomy, quality of life, privacy, and economic interests. In doing so, also the legal protection of each interest is discussed. Thus, this paper combines the legal context of AAL users' interests with the perspectives of other social sciences, which is the novelty of this contribution. Finally, the concluding section provides a summary of the findings, and presents the resulting conclusions.

This paper explores the intricate process of stakeholder classification within the intersection of law and innovative technologies, specifically focusing on video-based Active and Assisted Living (AAL) technologies. In three steps, the study introduces a stakeholder classification model based on pertinent legislation, critically evaluates existing AAL stakeholder taxonomies, and proposes a novel compound categorization. By integrating diverse perspectives, this approach aims to surmount the limitations inherent in current categorizations, providing a comprehensive understanding of AAL stakeholders. The findings significantly contribute to the nuanced comprehension of stakeholder identification, shedding light on the rights, obligations, and intricate interrelationships governed by legal frameworks in the domain of AAL technologies. Consequently, this research enriches our knowledge of the intricate nature of stakeholders in the digital world.

This paper shows how experiences from the area of EU financial law can be used to strengthen privacy protection in Active and Assisted Living (AAL), by fulfilling information obligations. Firstly, the importance of the information obligation in the fields of law, society, and economics is explained. A reluctance to accept new technology often comes from a lack of understanding thereof. In economics, it is assumed that people make informed choices, and that the main tool for consumer protection is the provision of information (the information paradigm). That is why the law requires us to provide information, sometimes making it a condition of a transaction’s validity. Two main EU legal acts vital for computer systems and assistive technology,i.e., the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) proposed by the Commission in 2021, are analysed to identify information obligations: They specify different information obligations, including rules on informed consent, without which several systems and their functions cannot be used. The purpose of the requirement of informed consent is to provide data subjects with tools to protect their privacy, allowing them to decide how their personal data may be processed. The information obligation is similarly applied in the field of consumer protection. In this paper, I suggest verifying the development of regulations concerning consumer protection by information obligation in EU banking and investment law. After the crisis of 2008, a long legal trajectory occurred – from the detailed prospectus, through the simplified prospectus and the Key Investor Information Document (KIIDs), to the current standardised and shorter Key Information Document (KID). Changes were introduced, as a result of behavioural research into people’s perceptions and understanding. That experience may be useful in assisting technologies to fulfil the legal information obligations most effectively and, therefore, strengthen data privacy protection.

Active and Assisted Living (AAL) technologies offer solutions for addressing healthcare challenges associated with ageing societies and a shortage of care personnel. At the same time, these technologies raise significant privacy issues, which may constitute a barrier to the sustainable adoption and acceptance of AAL. In particular, concerns arise from the presence of cameras in intimate situations, including nudity, and the potential production and dissemination of intimate pictures, which constitutes a risk for AAL users. The paper compares the regimes of criminal liability for making and disseminating intimate pictures under EU, Irish, and Polish law. The study aims to help AAL users understand their legal protection, and give providers and developers more insight into their legal responsibilities. The paper first presents different understandings of an intimate picture in each jurisdiction, followed by a discussion of what the crime entails and who may be liable for it. The conclusion includes a checklist of rules concerning criminal liability, which may be useful for AAL users and providers, and conclusions de lege ferenda.