Ethics, Law and Society

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable

Teaching Methods

The teaching method combines expository classes (to present the laws and their key concepts and fundamental principles, supported by slides) with the study of concrete cases decided by the courts based on the laws of IT Law. In order to promote the active participation of students in classes, prior readings of articles and monograph chapters are recommended for each topic in the program, encouraging discussion on the subjects. Speakers will be invited occasionally, especially from the industry sector, to talk about current issues.

Learning Outcomes

The curricular unit “Ethics, Law and Society” aims to provide students in this master's course with awareness of the importance of computer ethics in the information society and digital human rights, as well as knowledge of the main laws of IT Law, such as laws on a) digital services (the responsibility and due diligence obligations of intermediary service providers), b) personal data protection (GDPR/GDPR), c) software, databases and copyright on the internet; d) computer security and cybercrime; and e) artificial intelligence.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. The importance of computer ethics in the information society and human rights in the digital age

2. The main laws of IT Law
2.1. The European Union as the main normative source
2.2. Digital Services Law: Responsibility and Due Diligence Obligations of Intermediary Service Providers
2.3. Personal data protection law (GDPR), in particular the duties of the data controller
2.4. Software, database and copyright laws on the internet
2.5. Computer security and cybercrime laws
2.6. Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act)

3. Case studies.

Head Lecturer(s)

Karoline Tavares Vitali

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Exam: 100.0%

Bibliography

Alexandre Dias Pereira, Direito da Propriedade Intelectual & Novas Tecnologias, 3 vols., Gestlegal, 2019-2023
A Barreto Menezes Cordeiro (coord.), Comentário ao Regulamento Geral de Proteção de Dados e à Lei n.º 58/2019, Almedina, Coimbra, 2021
Comissão Europeia, Inteligência artificial para a Europa, COM(2018) 237 final, Bruxelas, 25.4.2018
G Cassano & S Previti (dir.), Il Diritto di Internet nell’Era Digitale, Giuffrè, 2020
L Menezes Leitão, Digital Services ACT (DSA): O Regulamento Europeu 2022/2065 Sobre os Serviços Digitais, Almedina, 2023
Mafalda Miranda Barbosa, Inteligência Artificial. Entre a utopia e a distopia, Gestlegal, 2021
P A de Miguel Asensio, Manual de Derecho de las Nuevas Tecnologías, Aranzadi, 2023
Susana Aires de Sousa (coord.), A Proposta de Regulamento Europeu sobre Inteligência Artificial: Algumas Questões jurídicas, Instituto Jurídico, 2023