Journal of Research and Development in Comparative Law

Journal of Research and Development in Comparative Law

A Comparative Study of Theoretical Challenges of Transferability of Personal Data from the Perspective of Contract Rights

Document Type : scientific research paper

Authors
1 Master's degree in private law, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran
2 PhD in jurisprudence and private law, Shahid Motahari University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The concept of personal data refers to any objective or subjective information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.
Such a broad semantic scope has caused theoretical discourse to see a variety of human-related values ​​involved in it, and in the first place, it has imposed confusion in legal literature about the nature of personal data.
Such confusion organizes the main question of the present research in the form of the topic of "the limits of the individual's right to control and manage" his or her data: whether the individual to whom the data relates has the right to contractually transfer such legal data or not.
And if so, to what extent? The source of the problem is that concern for the right to protect personal data, given its status as a fundamental right, have somewhat overshadowed considerations related to personal data from a contractual perspective.
While there are not enough specific regulations to address this shadow, an appropriate response to the issue of transferability of personal data is essential.
In this regard, in the present research, using an analytical-descriptive method and relying on library resources, an attempt has been made to reach a realistic analysis while delineating the theoretical challenges, part of which go back to the legal foundations of the concept of personal data and some to the general rules of contracts.
The results of the research show that, given the intertwining of the functions of personal data in economic and non-economic terms, such as human rights and personality rights, adopting a single legal system will not have a clear outcome and will only increase the complexity of personal data.
Therefore, the plurality of the legal system must be defended while preserving its specific characteristics.
Thus, in the field of non-economic functions, it follows the system of personal law, and in the field of economic functions, it follows the system of contract law.
This approach is actually the result of the ineffectiveness of the human rights and the property rights systems, and conflict between the transferability of personal data and the general rules of contracts.
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