“Personal Data Protection and Criminal Sciences” Dossier

Prologue to a criminal law course

Abstract

The dossier “Personal Data Protection and Criminal Sciences” of the Revista Brasileira de Ciências Criminais explores the impact of the digital era on fundamental rights and the criminal justice system. The increasing collection and processing of personal data through advanced technologies raise challenges concerning privacy, proportionality, and due process of law. The editorial highlights the risks of algorithmic surveillance, data commodification, and covert investigative methods, emphasizing the need for stronger oversight, transparency, and safeguards in handling digital evidence. It also points to regulatory gaps and the urgency of specific criminal law provisions capable of balancing investigative effectiveness with the protection of informational self-determination. Furthermore, it calls for the transversal incorporation of data protection into legal education and for a more active judicial role in curbing abuses. The dossier seeks to foster debate and promote a criminal law culture committed to human dignity and the rule of law.