Archive for year: 2024

ESR Barbara Lazarotto wrote a book review on ‘Digital Oil – Machineries of Knowing’, by Eric Monteiro for the Italian Journal of Science & Technology Studies Tecnoscienza.

In her review, Barbara explores Monteir’s delves into the metaphor of “data is the new oil” to analyze the Norwegian offshore oil industry’s digital transformations. He explores how societal and political decisions have shaped the industry’s evolution, emphasizing the interplay between technology, economics, ethics, and politics. Divided into three parts, the book covers the historical context of Norway’s oil industry, the technological developments driving digitalization, and the implications of datafication on society. Through empirical studies, Monteiro examines various phases of commercial oil activities, highlighting the role of multidisciplinary professionals like data managers in handling and interpreting complex datasets. He also addresses the uncertainties inherent in oil exploration and production as a background for stressing the importance of considering technical and ethical factors in data analysis.

Her review can be accessed via this link.

2024, the final year of the LeADS project, kickstarted with an intensive three-day meeting packed with a wide variety of LeADS activities. Organized by the LeADS consortium, the activities took place in Brussels on the campus by LeADS beneficiary VUB.

During this packed three days, three distinct events took place, amongst them the Conference on Data Ethics and Governance: Unravelling the Complexities of Privacy, Fairness, and Access in the Digital Age.

During two separate sessions, ESRs presented their Working Papers which they have been writing in 2023. Each presentation was followed by a discussion with distinguished academics.

The first panel on ‘Challenges and Opportunities in Fair Machine Learning, Data Access, and Governance was initiated with opening remarks by Prof. Giovanni Comande’. The following three working papers were presented (i) The Flawed Foundations of Fair Machine Learning (ii) Measuring Data Access and Re-Use in the European Legal Framework (iii) Data Collaboratives with the Use of Decentralised Learning. The working papers were subsequently discussed by Dr Laura Drechsler (KU Leuven), Dr. Katarzyna Poludniak, Jagiellonian University, and Prof. Gabriele Lenzini, University of Luxemburg.

The second panel on ‘Data Privacy, Minimization, and Governance in Personal (and Sensitive) Data’ was chaired by Prof. Gianclaudio Malgieri (Leiden University) and consisted of the presentation of the following Working Papers: (i) Contribution to data minimisation for personal data and trade secrets (ii) Transparency and relevancy of direct-to-consumer genetic testing privacy & consent policies in EU (iii) From Data Governance by Design to Data Governance as a Service.

In a following Q&A session, Prof. Elwira Macierzyńska-Franaszczyk (Jagiellonian University), Dr Arianna (Rossi, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna), and Dr Afonso Ferreira (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) further discussed, challenged, and contextualized the work by our ESRs.

ESRs Soumia Zohra El Mestari and Fatma Sümeyra Doğan, along with Dr Marietjie Botes, have recently published a paper at the Privacy Symposium: Data Protection Law International Convergence and Compliance with Innovative Technologies proceedings that delve into the technical and legal aspects related to the reuse of health data when repurposing machine learning models in the EU. The paper titled “Technical and Legal Aspects Relating to the (Re)Use of Health Data When Repurposing Machine Learning Models in the EU” not only examines the impact of machine learning technologies but also focuses on specific concepts, such as “knowledge transfer,” and assesses their potential implications within the context of emerging EU legislation, including the Data Governance Act and EHDS proposal.

The objective of the research is to provide insights into the use of machine learning models in the healthcare sector, particularly in light of the increasing volume of healthcare data being generated. The paper highlights the challenges and opportunities related to the (re)use of health data, the ethical and legal implications associated with the use of such data and the potential benefits that can be achieved by using machine learning models to analyze healthcare data.

Overall, the paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the technical and legal aspects associated with the (re)use of health data and machine learning models within the EU. The research findings are relevant for policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers who are interested in the latest developments in the field of machine learning and healthcare data analysis.

The paper can be read here

On January 11-12 2024, ESR Barbara Lazarotto presented her research at the interdisciplinary international conference on ‘Public Governance and Emerging Technologies: Values, Trust, and Compliance by Design’ in Utrecht, The Netherlands. The Conference explored the use of emerging technologies in public governance and how this deployment can be done in a legally, ethically, and socially acceptable way.

Prof. Barbara Prainsack gave a keynote at the Conference

Barbara presented her research on the topic of “The Role of Technology in Citizens’ Right to Good Administration: Examining the Impact of Smart Governments”. She explored the growing trend of “smart government,” where technology, including information and communication technologies (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI), is extensively used to enhance public administration, collecting and processing large-scale data with the main objective of improving efficiency and reducing costs. Despite justifications based on the right to good administration, concerns arise regarding the impact on citizen autonomy and privacy. Her paper explores the concept of “smart governments,” analyzing common technological practices, such as nudging and sensorization of public environments.

Barbara’s work will be featured as a chapter in a book exploring the topic of technology and public governance to be published late in 2024.

ESR Aizhana Abdrassulova attended the 32nd International Conference on Business, Management, Education & Law (IBMEL-23) held in Istanbul from September 5-7, 2023. The conference was organized by the International Centre of Excellence in Education, Business, and Management.

During the conference, Aizhana presented a paper and made an oral presentation on the topic “Data ownership does not work?”. The article was already published, and Aizhana discussed the challenges and inconsistencies of the data ownership approach. Her presentation was well received by the audience, which included many professionals working with data.

Aizhana’s presentation focused on the modern approach to data ownership that prioritizes convenience for the data subject and control over their data. She expressed her views on the topic, highlighting the need for a better understanding of data ownership issues and the importance of ensuring data privacy and security.

The conference had an interactive format that allowed participants to engage in discussions and exchange their ideas and views on the topic. The conference was an excellent opportunity for Aizhana to connect with other professionals in her field and learn about the latest advancements and trends related to data ownership and management.