In the modern information age of big data, the Internet of Things and cloud computing, new data-driven products and services are enabling scientific and societal developments at a rapid pace and are the key drivers of economic growth. Our digital information society depends and thrives on the ability to generate, collect, aggregate, link and use information, including personal data, through increasingly complex technologies and global processes. Understanding how our personal information is being used in this environment is becoming increasingly difficult if not impossible for the average person. Thus, expecting individuals to take an active role in deciding how their personal information is used in all instances is increasingly unrealistic.
Yet, data protection and privacy are important societal norms and in many countries fundamental or constitutional rights. Individuals must have confidence and trust that their data are being used responsibly and consistent with these norms and rights. The existing concept of “organisational accountability” goes a long way to enable this public trust and the responsible use of data.
Indeed, organisational accountability has become a key building block of modern privacy law and policy and is being implemented by enlightened global organisations in their corporate privacy and information management programs. However, to fully realise its potential as the basis for enabling and legitimising modern data uses, the core elements of organisational accountability need to be further developed and supplemented with additional elements, as further described in this paper.
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