Privacy, Data Protection, and Patron Confidentiality: Assessing Legal Obligations in the Age of Digital Information
Authors/Creators
- 1. Assistant Professor, School of Law, Brainware University, Kolkata
Description
The digitization of library services has generated unprecedented volumes of patron data, creating new obligations and vulnerabilities that require careful legal and professional navigation. This article examines the intersecting legal frameworks governing privacy, data protection, and patron confidentiality in modern libraries, including national privacy statutes, data protection regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation, and professional ethical codes. It explores how surveillance technologies, data analytics, and cloud-based service platforms have complicated the library's traditional commitment to intellectual freedom and patron anonymity. The article further analyzes the tensions between law enforcement demands for patron data and libraries' legal and ethical duty to resist unwarranted disclosure. It concludes by proposing policy frameworks and professional strategies to strengthen patron privacy in an era of pervasive digital surveillance.
Files
4. Mr. Subham Chatterjee.pdf
Additional details
References
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