Thesis title

'Protection of the individual and “personal inferences” from algorithmic data processing'

Supervisors

Dr Philipp Paech

Research interests

Artificial intelligence, technology regulation, data protection and EU law

Sofia Maria Lener is a PhD candidate in Law at Tuscia University in Viterbo and a Visiting Research Student in Law at LSE. Her current research focuses on the protection of individuals from ‘personal inferences’ or personal data inferred through machine learning methods. The aim of the research is to understand (i) how personal inferences are created and what risks they pose to individual; (ii) whether European and Italian laws apply to personal inferences and to what extent; (iii) if they do not apply or if they apply but inadequately, whether alternative solutions exists; and (iv) what kind of civil liability arises from damage caused by personal inferences, who is liable and what extrajudicial and judicial remedies are provided by the legal system.

Prior to joining Tuscia University and LSE, Sofia conducted extensive research and published some articles on the relationship between technology and the protection of users’ personal data, focusing primarily on the right to be forgotten, starting with her dissertation entitled “The Right to Be Forgotten and the Permanence of Data: From the Right to Privacy to the Right to De-indexation”. Additionally, she served as a Research Assistant at the ESG European Institute, contributing to the “Benefit Companies and B Corporations” project, where she explored benefit corporations as a potential development model for publicly listed companies.

Sofia holds a BA and master’s degree in law (summa cum laude) from LUISS University in Rome. She has been admitted to the Bar in Italy since 2022 and she has worked as a lawyer specializing in civil and commercial litigation, with a focus on banking and corporate law. She is also Teaching Assistant for the course “Market Law and Regulation” at LUISS University in Rome.

Affiliations/Memberships

Italian Bar Association

European Law Institute Membership

International Society of Public Law Membership

Awards/Scholarships

Tuscia University Department of Law Studentship (2022-2025)

ESG European Institute Scholarship (2020-2021)