A decade of unprecedented growth in the field of personal data collection and analysis, as well as the increased ‘datification’ of ordinary life, has lead to widespread concern about the impact of “Big Data” on consumers and their right to privacy.

This project addresses the adverse impact of Big Data on consumers’ fundamental right to privacy, and argues that in order to safeguard that right, an interdisciplinary approach, which coalesces the approach of data protection law and consumer protection law, is required. The main threats posed by Big Data are: risk of security breaches; undermining validity of consumer consent; and risk of discrimination. These threats are seen as a breach of a fundamental right to privacy, which is interpreted as including the right to informational self-determination and right to control personal data.