PRESCIENT · Privacy and emerging fields of science and technology: Towards a common framework for privacy and ethical assessment

Privacy is a multifaceted concept, a moving target and a salient topic in technology policy-making. PRESCIENT will provide an early identification of privacy and ethical issues arising from emerging technologies and their relevance for EC policy. It will contribute to the quality of research in the field of ethics, by distinguishing between privacy and data protection and analysing the ethical, legal and socio-economic conceptualisations of each. The project has four stages. The first stage is ANALYSIS: the partners will provide a state-of-the-art analysis of privacy and data protection as conceptualised from an ethical, socio-economic and legal perspective. The second stage is CASE STUDIES wherein the partners will identify the privacy, data protection and ethical issues arising from five different emerging technologies and their applications. The third stage focuses on CITIZENS. The partners will analyse various existing surveys to assess citizen concerns and knowledge of the way in which their data are collected, stored and used and their concerns about new technologies and how their concerns have changed over time. The partners will examine 20 top websites and interview data collectors to assess how easy or difficult it is for citizens to access their information and to find out it is being used. The fourth and final stage focuses on development of a NEW FRAMEWORK FOR PRIVACY AND ETHICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS. The partners will develop four scenarios as an element in this new framework, which is based on an integration of the results of this study and on privacy impact assessment guidelines such as those of the UK. The partners will invite a multi-disciplinary panel of external experts to comment on the deliverables and discuss issues raised in a workshop at each stage. The project will conclude with a final conference to which experts, policy-makers and other stakeholders will be invited in order to debate the project’s findings and recommendations.