Data Privacy and Technology
Understand how privacy, technology and the law intersect — and how to use and protect data responsibly in a connected world.
Overview
As technology collects, shares and analyses more data than ever, privacy has become one of the defining issues of our time. Data Privacy and Technology, from Harvard Online, explores how privacy, technology and the law intersect — and what it means to handle data responsibly.
You'll examine the frameworks, regulations and real-world dilemmas shaping data privacy today, and build the judgement to navigate them — whether you work in tech, law, compliance, product or management.
What you'll learn
- The core concepts and importance of data privacy
- Major privacy laws and regulatory frameworks
- How technology challenges privacy — tracking, surveillance, AI
- The principles of privacy by design
- How organisations govern and protect data
- The ethics and future of privacy
Course content
The foundations of privacy — what it is, why it matters, and how our expectations have evolved with technology.
The major laws, regulations and frameworks (such as GDPR) that govern how data can be collected and used.
How tracking, surveillance, AI and emerging tech put privacy under pressure — and what's at stake.
Building systems and products that protect privacy from the ground up, not as an afterthought.
Governance, compliance and the practical steps organisations take to manage data responsibly.
Emerging challenges and ethical questions — and how to think about privacy in the years ahead.
Who it's for
This course is ideal for professionals who handle or make decisions about data — in technology, legal, compliance, product, marketing and management roles — and for anyone who wants to understand privacy in a technology-driven world.
No technical or legal background is required — the course is designed to be clear and accessible.
Your certificate
On successful completion, you'll earn an official certificate from Harvard — a globally recognised credential you can add to your CV and LinkedIn to demonstrate your data-privacy expertise.
Master data privacy.
Enrol in Data Privacy and Technology, or talk to an advisor about the right Harvard course for your goals.