Unit name | Information Technology Law |
---|---|
Unit code | LAWDM0070 |
Credit points | 30 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
Unit director | Professor. Charlesworth |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit will critically examine the legal and regulatory challenges raised by the Digital Age. It will start by analysing the main theoretical debates about cyberspace regulation. It will then move on to consider to what extent law has successfully responded to the challenges raised by innovative and emerging digital technologies by considering various topics. These include piracy and file-sharing, Big Data technologies and data privacy, digital disinformation, cyber-crime, State Surveillance and artificial intelligence. Given that IT Law is a fast-moving discipline, the exact areas covered in each academic year may vary depending on their relevance to current policy, legal and regulatory debates in the field.
This unit will engage with the laws of England & Wales. Given the global nature of the Internet, this unit will often engage with the laws of other jurisdictions including Europe and America. Consequently, students may often have to engage with legal and academic materials from jurisdictions other than England & Wales.
This unit does not require an in-depth understanding of contemporary information and communications technologies. It is primarily focused on the legal and regulatory implications of digital technologies and platforms as well as the intended and unintended consequences of regulating digital ecosystems.
By the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to:
Students should also be able to:
This unit is also intended to improve skills relating to research – in particular, the ability to research legal issues and areas of law.
Teaching will be delivered through a variety of asynchronous and synchronous activities
2 x summative assessments: 2x coursework with a specified word count (50% each)
The assessment will assess all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.