When neurotechnology meets data protection: the crossroads of privacy

As part of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), a key session was held on neurotechnologies and their relationship with personal data protection, titled “When Neurotechnology meets data protection: privacy’s crossroad.” The session featured two prominent experts: Miguel Ángel Elizalde Carranza, Director of the Master’s in Human Rights, Democracy, and Globalization, and Xavier Urios Aparisi, Head of the Legal Advisory of the APDCAT.

As the speakers explained, neurotechnologies are devices and procedures that allow access to, monitor, investigate, evaluate, manipulate, or emulate human neural systems. These technologies can generate detailed information about people’s emotions and fears, and when combined with artificial intelligence (AI), they open a profound debate on fundamental issues such as freedom of thought, human identity, individual autonomy, and especially privacy.

During the session, the main ethical risks associated with the use of neurotechnologies were discussed, such as identity protection, privacy, and their impact on personal freedom. Furthermore, their close connection to personal data protection was debated, with a special focus on the healthcare field, where neurotechnologies can have a significant impact.

The experts emphasized the need for a clear legal and ethical framework to regulate the development and use of these technologies to protect individual rights and ensure the security of personal data.
The session was an important space to reflect on the challenges that neurotechnologies pose to society and the legal system, highlighting the need for a balance between technological innovation and the protection of fundamental human rights.