Quantified Self, Freedom, and the GDPR

Abstract

Contains fulltext : 197069.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be applied from May 2018. One of the many new societal developments it has to deal with is the Quantified Self (QS). This concerns data that are collected about a person by apps that aim to improve his or her life. This article answers the question to what extent the tools and assumptions that underlie the creation of QS influence an individual’s freedom and to what extent the GDPR can contribute to the protection of this freedom. The article finds that QS can restrict an individual’s internal and external freedom. It suggests that everybody should meet a certain standard or group norm, which influences the choices individuals make. This is an internal restriction of freedom, which is largely unknown. A more familiar problem is the external restriction of freedom. This happens when data are analysed by the QS app or by third parties. They can make assumptions about a person on the basis of these data, which influences the possible options for an individual. The GDPR does protect certain elements of external freedom better than the EDPD. This mainly has to do with the rules related to data about health, and more stringent rules in general. The GDPR does not protect the internal aspect of freedom, although the possible risks of this internal restriction can be very serious.41 p