Minimizing Technology Ricks with PIAs, Precaution, and Participation

Privacy impact assessment can be a tool for responsible research and innovation (RRI). RRI can be defined as a transparent, interactive process by which societal actors and innovators become mutually responsive to each other. In order to allow a proper embedding of scientific and technological advances in society, actors and innovators keep in mind ethical acceptability, sustainability, and societal desirability of the innovation process and its marketable products. This definition of RRI is close to the definition of privacy impact assessment (PIA). PIA is a process of engaging stakeholders to consider the impact of a new technology, product, service, project, or policy on privacy, and what measures could be taken to avoid or mitigate unwanted effects. In this light, PIA is also an instrument of risk governance that should be understood and implemented within the framework of the precautionary principle. Precaution is a theoretical framework of action in the face of uncertain risks. After considering the precautionary principle from a conceptual point of view, we consider privacy impact assessment in practice. We conclude that by integrating PIA within risk governance, one can also address the problem of balancing privacy and other values.