Rear view mirror, crystal ball: Predictions for the future of data protection law based on the history of environmental protection law

As with the effects of industrialisation, the side-effects of datafication cannot be entirely known in advance. Privacy is currently a prime concern, but datafication can also affect entire societies if it results in a “digital panopticon”. Considering the influence of Risk Society Theory and Normal Accident Theory, two important social theories concerning industrial hazards, this article proposes a number of areas where future iterations of data protection law can be developed.