IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/reggov/v16y2022i1p156-176.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comparing definitions of data and information in data protection law and machine learning: A useful way forward to meaningfully regulate algorithms?

Author

Listed:
  • Raphaël Gellert

Abstract

The notion of information is central to data protection law, and to algorithms/machine learning. This centrality gives the impressions that algorithms are just yet another data processing operation to be regulated. A more careful analysis reveals a number of issues. The notion of personal data is notoriously under‐defined, and attempts at clarification from an information theory perspective are also equivocal. The paper therefore attempts a clarification of the meaning of data and information in the context of information theory, which it uses in order to clarify the notion of personal data. In doing so, it shows that data protection law is grounded in the logic of knowledge communication, which stands in stark contrast with machine learning, which is predicated upon the logic of knowledge production, and hence, upon different definitions of data and information. This is what ultimately explains the failure of data protection to adequately regulate machine learning algorithms.

Suggested Citation

  • Raphaël Gellert, 2022. "Comparing definitions of data and information in data protection law and machine learning: A useful way forward to meaningfully regulate algorithms?," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(1), pages 156-176, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:reggov:v:16:y:2022:i:1:p:156-176
    DOI: 10.1111/rego.12349
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.12349
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/rego.12349?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chaim Zins, 2007. "Conceptual approaches for defining data, information, and knowledge," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 58(4), pages 479-493, February.
    2. Michael K. Buckland, 1991. "Information as thing," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 42(5), pages 351-360, June.
    3. Marcia J. Bates, 1999. "The invisible substrate of information science," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 50(12), pages 1043-1050.
    4. Baldwin, Robert & Scott, Colin & Hood, Christopher (ed.), 1998. "A Reader on Regulation," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198765295.
    5. Karen Yeung, 2018. "Algorithmic regulation: A critical interrogation," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(4), pages 505-523, December.
    6. Michael Buckland, 1991. "Rejoinder to “Information as thing”," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 42(10), pages 758-758, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bryce Clayton Newell, 2023. "Surveillance as information practice," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 74(4), pages 444-460, April.
    2. Kebede, Gashaw, 2010. "Knowledge management: An information science perspective," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 416-424.
    3. Darrin Baines & Robert J R Elliott, 2020. "Defining misinformation, disinformation and malinformation: An urgent need for clarity during the COVID-19 infodemic," Discussion Papers 20-06, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    4. Darin Freeburg, 2019. "The Knowing Model: Facilitating Behaviour Change in Organisations," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(04), pages 1-22, December.
    5. Isto Huvila, 2022. "Making and taking information," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(4), pages 528-541, April.
    6. Cornelius, Kristin B., 2019. "Zombie contracts, dark patterns of design, and 'documentisation'," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 8(2), pages 1-25.
    7. Alaimo, Cristina & Kallinikos, Jannis, 2022. "Organizations decentered: data objects, technology and knowledge," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112470, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Jeremy Pitt & Daniel Ramirez-Cano & Moez Draief & Alexander Artikis, 2011. "Interleaving multi-agent systems and social networks for organized adaptation," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 344-378, November.
    9. Hicks, Alison, 2022. "The missing link: Towards an integrated health and information literacy research agenda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    10. Isto Huvila, 2020. "Use-Oriented Information and Knowledge Management: Information Production and Use Practices as an Element of the Value and Impact of Information," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(04), pages 1-25, January.
    11. Yonit Rusho & Daphne R. Raban, 2020. "Hands on: Information Experiences as Sources of Value," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 71(6), pages 671-684, June.
    12. Alarape, A. A. & Adegboye M. O. & Ogunniran O. O & Omoba, F. A, 2021. "Health Information Resources and Clinical Core Skills as Predictors of Medical Doctors Clinical Decision Making in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(6), pages 175-184, June.
    13. Wayne de Fremery & Michael K. Buckland, 2022. "Copy theory," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(3), pages 407-418, March.
    14. Tami Oliphant, 2021. "Emerging (information) realities and epistemic injustice," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(8), pages 951-962, August.
    15. Sundqvist, Anneli & Svärd, Proscovia, 2016. "Information culture and records management: a suitable match? Conceptualizations of information culture and their application on records management," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 9-15.
    16. Hannah Augustin & Martin Sudmanns & Dirk Tiede & Stefan Lang & Andrea Baraldi, 2019. "Semantic Earth Observation Data Cubes," Data, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-19, July.
    17. Tim Gorichanaz, 2022. "Relating information seeking and use to intellectual humility," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(5), pages 643-654, May.
    18. Lai Ma, 2023. "Information, platformized," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 74(2), pages 273-282, February.
    19. Lai Ma, 2022. "Information: Keywords. Kennerly, Michele, Frederick, Samuel, and Abel, Jonathan E New York: Columbia University Press, 2021. 232 pp. $110.00 (hardcover). (ISBN: 9780231198769)," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(7), pages 1058-1061, July.
    20. Nelson, Sarah Beth & Jarrahi, Mohammad Hossein & Thomson, Leslie, 2017. "Mobility of knowledge work and affordances of digital technologies," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 54-62.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:reggov:v:16:y:2022:i:1:p:156-176. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1748-5991 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.