Law and the Digital Economy: Unlocking Data through Regulation in Brazil and the European Union

Law and the Digital Economy: Unlocking Data through Regulation in Brazil and the European Union examines one of the defining legal and policy challenges of the digital age: how to unlock the economic and social value of data without compromising fundamental rights, competition, or trust. Comparing the regulatory approaches of the European Union and Brazil, the book argues that the future of the digital economy depends not only on protecting personal data, but also on creating governance structures that enable its safe, legitimate, and interoperable use. It explores the interaction between the GDPR, the LGPD, the Digital Markets Act, the Data Act, competition law, consumer protection, and emerging AI regulation, showing how fragmented legal regimes can hinder innovation while reinforcing market concentration.
Drawing on legal theory and regulatory practice, the book examines how artificial intelligence, digital platforms, gatekeepers, and data-driven business models are reshaping markets and public institutions. It proposes practical legal and institutional solutions to promote data portability, interoperability, and responsible data sharing, while highlighting the need for coordinated and innovation-oriented digital governance. Essential reading for scholars, policymakers, regulators, legal practitioners, and professionals working in digital governance, privacy, competition law, and AI regulation, Law and the Digital Economy provides timely insights into building trustworthy, competitive, and data-driven digital ecosystems.

Daniela Copetti Cravo is a Municipal Attorney for the City of Porto Alegre, Brazil. She holds a Ph.D. and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), where she also completed postdoctoral research in Public Law and Legal Philosophy. She is a Professor of Law, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including master's and MBA courses, at several higher education institutions. She was a Visiting Professor at the University of Gdańsk through the European Union's Erasmus+ Programme. Her research focuses on digital law, data governance, data protection, competition law, and the regulation of artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on data portability, interoperability, and the digital economy.