This groundbreaking book explores the new legal and economic challenges triggered by big data, and analyses the interactions among and between intellectual property, competition law, free speech, privacy and other fundamental rights vis-a-vis big data analysis and algorithms. Offering both theoretical and practical insights, contributions illustrate the disruptive nature of the data-driven economy. Chapters discuss how products and services are digitalised and broken into bits, that in turn are reassembled, traded and used across sectors and borders, in contrast to how algorithms are already used to influence our choices, govern our news feeds and revolutionise business models at large. Having shown algorithms and big data to be the two fundamental driving forces of the new information society, expert authors explore which policy options, institutional frameworks and values should be adopted by lawmakers and regulatory authorities in order to ensure a fair balance between private interests such as competition, innovation and the fundamental rights of individuals. Innovatively combining both public and private law perspectives, this unique book will provide a valuable resource for scholars and students of information and technology law, media law, privacy, regulatory and human rights law. Its attention to the latest developments will also prove essential for policymakers and practitioners working in related areas.

This volume offers a general overview on the handling and regulating electronic evidence in Europe, presenting a standard for the exchange process. Chapters explore the nature of electronic evidence and readers will learn of the challenges involved in upholding the necessary standards and maintaining the integrity of information. Challenges particularly occur when European Union member states collaborate and evidence is exchanged, as may be the case when solving a cybercrime. One such challenge is that the variety of possible evidences is so wide that potentially anything may become the evidence of a crime. Moreover, the introduction and the extensive use of information and communications technology (ICT) has generated new forms of crimes or new ways of perpetrating them, as well as a new type of evidence. Contributing authors examine the legal framework in place in various EU member states when dealing with electronic evidence, with prominence given to data protection and privacy issues. Readers may learn about the state of the art tools and standards utilized for treating and exchanging evidence, and existing platforms and environments run by different Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) at local and central level. Readers will also discover the operational point of view of LEAs when dealing with electronic evidence, and their requirements and expectations for the future. Finally, readers may consider a proposal for realizing a unique legal framework for governing in a uniform and aligned way the treatment and cross border exchange of electronic evidence in Europe. The use, collection and exchange of electronic evidence in the European Union context and the rules, practises, operational guidelines, standards and tools utilized by LEAs, judges, Public prosecutors and other relevant stakeholders are all covered in this comprehensive work. It will appeal to researchers in both law and computer science, as well as those with an interest in privacy, digital forensics, electronic evidence, legal frameworks and law enforcement.