Privacy and data protection in the surveillance society: The case of the Prüm system

Abstract

The simultaneous localisation and globalisation of ‘terrorist threats' and cross-border criminality have led to increased expansion of surveillance activities and greater cross-border police and judicial cooperation, placing a greater priority on these activities within the political agenda of the EU. In this scenario, the expansion of technological systems for surveillance and monitoring, and the large-scale exchange of citizens’ personal data play a pivotal role in the “fight against crime”. This paper explores the multiplicity of data protection regimes in different EU Member States within the framework of the Prüm system. While EU regulations establish minimum standards for personal data flows at the transnational level, local and domestic practices are extremely het- erogeneous. Based on analysis of 37 interviews conducted with professionals involved in the automated exchange of forensic genetic profiles, this paper provides empirical data that highlights the tensions between the local and the global within DNA data exchanges across the EU. These tensions relate to differentiated sociotechnical imaginaries regarding the protection of personal data flowing between Member-States. In sum, this paper analyses the potential threats to human rights created by the exchange of personal data with regards to issues of privacy and data protection.