Personal data protection under European Union and Turkish law and big data

Nowadays, new technologies are becoming a part of our daily life at an unprecedented pace. For catching up with technology, it has become essential to follow the future rather than the present. Industry 4.0 introduces change and transformation at every stage of the supply chain from production to consumption. Smart technologies, internet of things, sensors, cloud services and robots, involved in this transformation produce data constantly. These datasets, which are large masses, can be processed in a short time with big data applications and technologies. Personal data take an important place within big data and individuals are directly affected by the results of profiling and automatic decision-making process. Currently, processing of personal data cannot be considered solely as a problem of privacy. Developed algorithms and their effects touch individuals' right to self-expression, self-determination. In Continental Europe, the protection of personal data, which is a half-century old legal field, is seeking ways to balance the interests of individuals and the value of data. In Turkey, very new Personal Data Protection Law will shape the approach and usage of new technologies in the coming period. In this study, while explaining the legal structure for the protection of personal data, the conflict between the economic interests created by big data applications and the principles of the protection of personal data will be discussed. In other words, the issue of legitimacy of big data applications will be evaluated in the context of the legal framework of data protection.