The Impact of Law and Technology on Society

There has always been a debate about whether law has shaped society or the other way around. However, there is no question that law is an important factor to the progress and evolution of today's society. During the last three decades, there has been another force that has shaped and is still shaping our society: Digital and Information technology. 

These new technologies are so rapidly changing, and their impact on society -in every aspect- are so pervasive that new questions of law are constantly arising. Traditional and well established legal doctrines are being challenged every day around the world in light of these new technological factors. For example, privacy is getting a whole new meaning in the world of the Internet and social networks, businesses are driven by how much data they collect and how fast they process it into actionable information, a criminal can do much more harm today -not only to other individuals, but to corporations and nations- through the Internet and information systems than possibly thought just two decades ago.

The speed of technology evolution is so fast that is dragging society by its hair, just to keep up with it, while law is holding society by its feet. Eventually, if not dealt with, this will rupture society and the administration of law. 

Faced with this scenario, there are two approaches lawyers and judges around the world are taking. One group is taking legal issues and cramming them into established doctrines -even though they don't perfectly fit- in order to avoid a more profound analysis that require knowledge of the new technologies. The second group is being more aggressive because they understand these technologies and how they impact aw and society. This group is the one raising new questions of law, challenging doctrines and making sure that law keeps up with society and technology.