Experiences of GDPR in Norway

Politics of autonomy and control

Bibliographic Data

ID2248208
AuthorsJan Ketil Simonsen (0009-0008-2052-5214, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, corresponding author), Elisabeth L’orange Fürst (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Elisabeth L''Orange Fürst, Elisabeth L'Orange Fürst
Year2024
Volume40
Issue2
Pages18-20
Publication date2024-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnthropology Today (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0268-540X • E-ISSN: 1467-8322
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-8322.12875
OpenAlexW4393386684
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited10

This article explores the challenges Norwegian anthropologists face owing to the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The authors' analysis reveals a tension between the need to comply with data protection regulations and preserve research autonomy and methodological integrity. The authors document how GDPR's bureaucratic control mechanisms have influenced researchers' conceptualization of ethics, leading to a split between legalistic adherence and critical responses within the anthropological community. This situation has necessitated negotiations with various stakeholders and re-evaluating participatory observational methods, particularly in health research, where access has become increasingly difficult. The article highlights the anthropological community's efforts to navigate these regulations through national debates, establishing forums for ethics in ethnographic research and developing strategies to maintain methodological standards while ensuring GDPR compliance. The authors advocate vigilance against the colonization of bureaucratic logic and seek to secure anthropological representation in regulatory bodies to safeguard the discipline's interests

Autonomy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Ethics and Social Impacts of AI · Law · Privacy, Security, and Data Protection