EITHOS Policy Recommendations - Legal & Ethical Policy Recommendations

This proposal advocates for more comprehensive EU surveys and official statistics concerning identity-related crimes online. The goal is to provide detailed information on each specific crime under the broader category of online identity theft. In addition, it seeks to clarify the role of ethics, data protection, and AI assessments in research projects, extending beyond the initial screening phase of proposals. Currently, there is significant inconsistency in how law enforcement agencies document personal data processing, both in criminal investigations and broader crime control activities, such as detection and prevention. The EU Directive 2016/680, which focuses on the protection of personal data by competent authorities, has the potential to promote greater harmonization in this area. This can be achieved if the requirements for the Record of Processing Activities (Article 24) and Logging (Article 25) are effectively implemented. Additionally, the proposal examines the potential role of the Law Enforcement Data Protection Officer (LED DPO) as a structural safeguard for data protection. While data protection officers have been studied within corporate and general frameworks, there remains a significant gap in empirical research on the role of DPOs within law enforcement. This role presents a crucial opportunity to ensure adherence to data protection principles within law enforcement activities, particularly concerning crime prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution.