LUHMANN'S SYSTEMS THEORY APPLIED TO DATA PROTECTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY IN TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

Abstract

The present work aimed to analyze the application of Niklas Luhmann's Systems Theory in data protection in the digital age, identifying its contributions to the understanding and regulation of this field in technology organizations. It sought to present the concepts of Niklas Luhmann's Systems Theory, as well as the principles of data protection in the digital age and the intersection between these two areas. The methodology used was the documentary analysis and the study of multiple cases, carried out in documents available on the internet of technology organizations selected according to their relevance in the sector. Thus, the following organizations were chosen: Google, which makes its data protection measures available through documents such as Google Privacy Policy , Google Safety Center , and Google Cloud Compliance; Microsoft, with its data protection measures set forth in the Microsoft Privacy Statement , Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager , and Microsoft 365 Guidance for Security & Compliance; Netflix, which provides information on security and privacy best practices for data protection in its Netflix Partner Help Center ; and Cisco, which, through the Cisco Trust Center and Cisco Security, provides documents related to data privacy. The research concluded that Luhmann's theory, with its concepts of autopoiesis, operational closure, self-referentiality, communication, structural coupling, interpenetrations, and allopoiesis, provides a robust framework for understanding how these companies manage and protect user data.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.029-014