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851-0732-06L 3 Credits DS , DR , MSC D-GESS

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Law & Tech

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. Dr. Alexander Stremitzer, Dr. Aileen Nielsen, Dr. Jakob Merane

Any students enrolling in the course must complete a short writing assignment ( ) within two weeks of registering. Please contact the instructors via email ( ) for information about the assignment and for access to the course Slack workspace.

VVZ CR 4.4

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:02:02

Abstract

This course introduces students to scientific and technological developments that require regulation or enable legal innovation. We focus particularly on the challenges to current law posed by prominent near-future technologies.

Objective

The course is intended for a wide range of engineering students as well as for law students interested in acquiring a better understanding of state-of-the-art technology. The course will combine both an overview of major areas of law that are relevant for the regulation of technology and guest lectures on new technological developments. The course is open to ETH students through the Science in Perspective program of the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences.

Content

The planned course outline is below 1. Overview of law and technology 2. Digital Platforms 3. AI Fairness 4. Consumer Bots and Consumer Protection 5. Drones 6. Integrated Case Studies on Topical Issues (e.g. social media platforms, drones, direct-to-consumer genetic testing) 7. Law and Tech scholarship series

Resources

Learning Materials (Links)

Main link
Law & Tech course information: departmental website

General Information

Language: English
Levels: DS , DR , MSC
Frequency: Yearly recurring

Examination

Type: graded semester performance

The course grade will be based on four multiple choice quizzes on law (25%) during class time and a written final exam on the law and tech aspects of the course (75%) as well as on class participation. Details of the exams will be discussed at the first lecture.Class participation will be used to adjust the final grade up by an amount between 0.0 and 0.5 (that is, participation cannot bring your grade down). Student participation is an essential part of maintaining a lively and interesting conversation, and the possibility to improve one’s grade via participation reflects this.

Registration & Places

Max Places: 72

Course Components

Type	Title	Time & Place	Hours
seminar	Law & Tech	Tue 10:15-12:00 (IFW A 32.1) Wed 10:15-12:00 (IFW A 32.1)	2 h weekly

Offered In

Science in Perspective (In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses.)
- Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (SiP courses are recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. All SiP courses are listed in Type A. Courses listed under Type B are only recommendations for enrollment for specific departments.)
  - Law
- Type B: Reflection About Subject-Specific Methods and Contents (Subject-specific courses. Particularly relevant for students interested in those subjects. All these courses are also listed under the category “Typ A”, and every student can enroll in these courses.)
  - D-INFK
  - D-ITET
  - D-MTEC
  - D-BIOL
Doctorate Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (More Information at: )
- Subject Specialisation
Science, Technology, and Policy Master
- Electives