CYBERLAW - 2021/2

Module Overview

This module considers the legal, regulatory and commercial issues relating to the internet. It reflects on the ensuing impact on the digital economy, platforms and the wider business community plus the legal regulation thereof taking account of the unprecedented transformation in digitisation of the law and the way business is conducted in the 21st century.

Module provider

School of Law

Module Leader

ABBOTT Ryan (Schl of Law)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None.

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Big data business models and proposed legal and regulatory responses
Privacy and data governance
Regulation of speech on the internet – including harmful speech, defamation and intermediary liability issues
Introduction to Intellectual Property
Net Neutrality
Algorithmic discrimination
Cybersecurity and cybercrime

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

Students are assessed through one piece of coursework (100%). The assessment will be in the form of a 3500 word essay related to normative, legal or policy themes. Students will be asked to focus on a topic to explore in depth and support with research and relevant examples from practical commercial and legal settings.

Module aims

• Understand new innovations in law and technology
• Appreciate and understand how the platform economy drives commerce, political and social developments and the problems this can cause
• Evaluate the social, legal and economic implications of new technologies and digital markets
• Evaluate and how the law can and cannot solve such problems
• Examine the moral and ethical issues related to the internet, platforms, digital economy, AI and algorithmic governance
• Understand how legal institutions and rules can help accountability and justice online while also appreciating the limitations of governmental actions and the need for softer forms of governance, norms and interventions

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy follows a mix of didactic and problem-based learning.

Seminars adopt a flexible learning approach, with a combination of interactive seminars and group project work, delivered by academics with room for visiting members of industry where appropriate.


Basic legal knowledge and policy-oriented problem solving will be blended in with the substantive subject-specific seminars.

The learning and teaching methods would typically comprise:
• 2 hour (x5) and 3-hour (x6) seminars delivered largely intensively for two weeks

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: LAWM163

Other information

None.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.