Personal data protection: A gap in Chile's curricular design of mediation study programs

Abstract

Digital technologies bring benefits for people and risks that can impact the enjoyment of fundamental rights. Protecting personal data is a fundamental right that guarantees people the power to control the information that concerns them. The Internet is a digital technology with inherent risks, which reduce the security of personal data. Conflict mediation is one of the scenarios in which both elements come together today: the usual use of digital technologies connected to the Internet and the frequent processing of personal data through them. We hypothesize that mediators in Chile do not have sufficient academic training to guarantee the right to protect the personal data of their users. All mentioned is because the national study programs that qualify to practice as a mediator present a gap in their curricular design regarding personal data protection. To evaluate our hypothesis, we examined the diploma and postgraduate programs in mediation that faculties or Law Schools of accredited universities in Chile taught.