Abstract

Following the September 11 attacks, a process of indiscriminate collection of citizens' data has begun in the United States, using the most advanced digital technologies. This led to the need for a rethinking of many aspects of control, identifying what the limits of this collection were, the possible distortions of the system and the rights of individuals who were endangered. At the same time, technology allowed new control modes, more labyrinthic and pervasive, that designed the electronic control system of today. Many scholars have dealt with this topic: in this essay, the bases are taken from some studies of Daniel J. Solove and Stefano Rodotà. The aim is to try to understand the changes in progress, especially with reference to the phenomenon of data mining, to the indiscriminate collection of information (even with automated tools) and to the possibility, through the use of cryptography, to «rebalance» the rights.