THE PROTECTION OF SENSITIVE PERSONAL DATA AS A PUBLIC POLICY FOR THE PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE GROUPS AND MINORITIES IN THE FACE OF ALGORITHMIC DISCRIMINATION

Abstract

The information society presents itself as a space where data circulate at a higher speed through the use of various technologies. The increase in media consumption and data demands greater care in protecting the fundamental rights of individuals. Certain groups of people have distinct characteristics that are often used for discriminatory purposes, and this discrimination tends to replicate in the digital environment in the form of algorithmic discrimination. Therefore, the question arises: is there a public service for the protection of sensitive personal data working to promote public policies aimed at protecting vulnerable groups and minorities from risks arising from the information society? The deductive approach, monographic procedural method, and the technique of indirect documentation were employed. The primary objective was to first outline an overview of Habermasian theory regarding the identification of public problems and how it relates to a public service for the protection of personal data. Subsequently, the foundations of public service were analyzed as an institution of administrative law, as well as the process of developing public policies. Finally, it was demonstrated that data protection, understood as a public service, should benefit everyone, serving as an instrument for public policies in the protection of vulnerable groups and minorities.