Privacy in Europe (Coursera)

Offered by EIT Digital,
Privacy in Europe (Coursera)

After having followed Privacy in the Western world you have become acquainted with the overall global legal system and the origins of privacy as a concept as well as privacy as a (human) right. This course deals with the European legal system to protect privacy. European privacy protection is based upon human rights treaties, both on a European level as well global level such as, e.g. the UN Declaration on Human Rights. This course outlines and deals with these human rights treaties as well as with the specific rules and regulations that govern day to day privacy protection in Europe.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

The course deals with how the European cooperation came into being after the devastating effects of World War II. Economic cooperation was deemed necessary to prevent another war. From economic cooperation other issues became part of the negotiations, and to this day more and more policy fields have become part of the European cooperation. Dealing with and having respect for different human rights is paramount in this cooperation. And privacy protection and regulation has become an increasingly important subject that has attracted a lot of global attention.
The course deals with the different legal elements that have played an important role into grabbing in legal terms the notion of privacy and how to legally protect it. The rules that enable the exchange of personal data between the USA and Europe is being dealt with. It also deals with the constituting legal elements that have become part of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
After successful completion of the course you will have sufficient baggage to know about the important legal elements and historical background on the coming into being of European privacy protection. I wish you a lot of success with following the course.
What You Will Learn

  • Understand legal fundamentals in European privacy law
  • Create awareness for the role of privacy protection and the rule of law
  • Learn about the human rights background of privacy protection
  • Become aware of the essential role of law in designing IT, crypto and security systems

Course 3 of 5 in the Privacy and Standardisation Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Human rights and Economic Cooperation in Europe
European privacy protection is based upon human rights treaties, both on a European level as well global level such as, e.g. the UN Declaration on Human Rights. First we deal with how the European cooperation came into being after the devastating effects of World War II. Economic cooperation was deemed necessary to prevent another war. From economic cooperation other issues became part of the negotiations, and to this day more and more policy fields have become part of the European cooperation.

WEEK 2
European Legal system
This European Legal system is based on ancient Roman Law and as such one of the oldest in the world. This module focuses on the privacy aspects of the European Legal System and explains some of its history, its first legislation on data protection and privacy and their link to human rights. Finally the enforcement institutes and their role are discussed.

WEEK 3
Case Law
European privacy law was and continues to be shaped by rulings and judgements by national and European courts. We travel through the historically most impactful cases , trending from the human rights aspect towards the complete data protection nowadays.

WEEK 4
GDPR Main Elements
Nowadays privacy and data in Europe is protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). All previous treaties, directives and regulations have led towards this regulation. As a result the GDPR is very comprehensive. This module will introduce the principles the regulation is based on and discuss most of its main elements. As one of the most progressive piece of legislation globablly it inspires other law makers to apply similar approaches in their legal system. The Californian State for example in 2020.

WEEK 5
Individual Rights
One of the unique approaches the GDPR takes is the rights it gives individuals to protect their data. We shortly introduce each of them, providing you with the framework of the European privacy protection.

WEEK 6
Additional Reading
This module is entirely dedicated to delve deeper in the subject of data protection and privacy. We provide you with additional reading material that will not be graded or required in the final examination. However we strongly advise you to scan or read through this module not only help you gain a better understanding of data protection law but also form a independent opinion on the subject.

WEEK 7
Examination
The final quiz and opportunity for you to demonstrate that you mastered the content of this course. Good luck!

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Anticorrupción: Introducción a conceptos y perspectiva práctica (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Anticorrupción: Introducción a conceptos y perspectiva práctica (Coursera)

La corrupción es uno de los principales problemas en México. Los eventos de corrupción afectan de manera directa la calidad de vida de las personas, su desarrollo, el crecimiento económico y social del país, así como la confianza en el gobierno. El objetivo del curso es presentar los conceptos centrales del fenómeno social denominado corrupción, analizar su relación con la ética e integridad en el servicio público, así como con los derechos humanos.

Jun 22nd 2026
4 Weeks
Communicating Data Science Results (Coursera) Coursera
University of Washington

Communicating Data Science Results (Coursera)

Making predictions is not enough! Effective data scientists know how to explain and interpret their results, and communicate findings accurately to stakeholders to inform business decisions. Visualization is the field of research in computer science that studies effective communication of quantitative results by linking perception, cognition, and algorithms to exploit the enormous bandwidth of the human visual cortex. In this course you will learn to recognize, design, and use effective visualizations.

Jun 22nd 2026
3 Weeks
Build Better Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) (Coursera) Coursera
DeepLearning.AI

Build Better Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) (Coursera)

In this course, you will: Assess the challenges of evaluating GANs and compare different generative models; Use the Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) method to evaluate the fidelity and diversity of GANs; Identify sources of bias and the ways to detect it in GANs; Learn and implement the techniques associated with the state-of-the-art StyleGANs.

Jun 22nd 2026
3 Weeks
Introduction to English Common Law (Coursera) Coursera
University of London

Introduction to English Common Law (Coursera)

The common law of England and Wales is one of the major global legal traditions. This MOOC will give you an introduction to this influential legal system including its history, constitutional background, sources and institutions. You’ll learn about the different ways in which laws are made and interpreted, the English court system and the increasing importance of European Union and human rights law. Now is an especially exciting time to be learning about English common law, given the potential changes that lie ahead in today’s political, economic and social environment – all these pose challenges to and opportunities for the law.

Jun 15th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Privacy in the Western World (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Privacy in the Western World (Coursera)

Welcome to this course about privacy. We are thrilled to see that you are interested and will provide you with a comprehensive study of this intriguiging subject. We hope this course will enthuse you to look further into privacy and personal data regulation. Especially in the light of recent events it becomes more important to know about your (alleged!?) rights and freedoms.

Jun 22nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Citizenship and the Rule of Law (Coursera) Coursera
University of London

Citizenship and the Rule of Law (Coursera)

"Be you so high, the law is above you." This principle, part of the Rule of Law, has come to represent the powerful idea that even politicians and monarchs are bound by the law. However in an age of powerful corporations, international cyber-crime and popular support for authoritarian leaders, the Rule of Law is under threat worldwide.

Jun 15th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Usable Security (Coursera) Coursera
University of Maryland, College Park

Usable Security (Coursera)

This course focuses on how to design and build secure systems with a human-centric focus. We will look at basic principles of human-computer interaction, and apply these insights to the design of secure systems with the goal of developing security measures that respect human performance and their goals within a system.

Jun 15th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Data Privacy Fundamentals (Coursera) Coursera
Northeastern University

Data Privacy Fundamentals (Coursera)

This course is designed to introduce data privacy to a wide audience and help each participant see how data privacy has evolved as a compelling concern to public and private organizations as well as individuals. In this course, you will hear from legal and technical experts and practitioners who encounter data privacy issues daily.

Jun 17th 2026
3 Weeks