Data in Business & Society

Data, it is sometimes said, is the world’s new oil. Unlike the days when information was transmitted in print form, data is transmitted at the touch of a fingertip through the click of a mouse or a push of an icon on a phone app. Algorithms and computing systems have drastically expanded the scope, speed, and volume of access and use of data for consumers. Additionally, businesses, in variety of forms, including business-to-business, business-to-consumer, online, and even brick-and-mortar, have employed data to interact with other businesses and with consumers. Data has drastically expanded in use throughout business and society, and has changed how individuals interact with the legal system.

Beyond transforming transmission of information, new technologies that utilize data are transforming how law and digital technology interact in powerful ways and have raised new legal and policy considerations, including: (1) data governance and digital platforms; (2) artificial intelligence, machine learning, algorithms, and data-driven innovation; and (3) data protection and privacy.