UiA professor Morten Goodwin on the Data Protection Board

“It is an honour to be appointed to contribute to this work. We are exposed in this new technological environment. Data protection is very important. We are surrounded with apps that collect data about us without many of us realising”, Morten Goodwin says. 

Morten Goodwin is professor at the Department of ICT at UiA.

Goodwin is professor at the Department of Information and Communication Technology at the University of Agder. He is deputy leader of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) and holds a doctorate in artificial intelligence.

“The Data Protection Board ensures that the Data Protection Authority performs its functions. My role is to provide technological expertise about algorithms and data storage. Other members contribute with legal expertise”, Goodwin says. 

Goodwin teaches artificial intelligence to bachelors, masters and PhD students, in addition to being an active researcher in the field. He is also an active science communicator, focusing on artificial intelligence.  

Autumn 2020 he published the book ‘AI. Myten om maskinene’ (AI. The myth about the machines). The book is a lucid and humorous guide to artificial intelligence. It explains how the technology originated, what we use it for today, and what will be possible in the future.

Seven permanent members

The Data Protection Board acts as an appellate body that handles complaints about decisions made by the Data Protection Authority. The board is an independent committee consisting of seven permanent members, each with their own substitute. Both the permanent and substitute members are appointed for four years and may be reappointed several times. 

The Data Protection Board is administratively subject to the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation.

For the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2024, the ministry has appointed the following members and substitutes for the Data Protection Board:

• District Judge Mari Bø Haugstad, leader
  Judge of the Court of Appeal Mats W. Ruland, substitute member
• Professor Bjørnar Borvik, deputy leader
  District Court Judge Gunn Elin Lode, substitute member
• Lawyer Line Coll, member
  Adviser Eirik Løkke, substitute member
• Lawyer Hans Marius Graasvold, member
  Senior Adviser Maryke Silalahi Nuth, substitute member
• Senior Consultant Ellen Økland Blinkenberg, member
  Legal Adviser Heidi Talsethagen, substitute member
• Senior Adviser Hans Marius Tessem
  Professor Petter Bae Brandtzæg, substitute member
• Professor Morten Goodwin, member
  CTO Simen Sommerfeldt, substitute member