This incisive book provides a much-needed examination of the legal issues arising from the data economy, particularly in the light of the expanding role of algorithms and artificial intelligence in business and industry. In doing so, it discusses the pressing question of how to strike a balance in the law between the interests of a variety of stakeholders, such as AI industry, businesses and consumers.

Investigating issues at the intersection of trade secrets and personal data as well as the potential legal conflicts to which this can give rise, Gintarė Surblytė-Namavičienė examines what kinds of changes to the legal framework the growing data economy may require. Through an analysis of the way in which EU competition law may tackle algorithm-related problems the book also identifies a regulatory gap in the case of algorithmic manipulation in the business-to-consumer relationship. The book further argues that control by public bodies over terms and conditions often used in the data economy may be necessary for the sake of consumer protection.

Scholars in competition law and regulatory governance, particularly those with an interest in the impacts of technology, will find this to be critical reading. It will also be beneficial to practitioners and policy makers working at the intersections of regulation and technology.

1. Introduction



2. Digital economy: between human brains and artificial intelligence



3. Trade secret protection for data



4. Data- and algorithm-driven economy: issues for competition?



5. Regulation beyond competition?



6. Conclusions