Dr Maria Tzanou

School of Law

Senior Lecturer in Law

Postgraduate Research (PGR) Director

Staff photo of Maria Tzanou
Profile picture of Staff photo of Maria Tzanou
m.tzanou@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6811

Full contact details

Dr Maria Tzanou
School of Law
CLG04
Bartolome虂 House
Winter Street
Sheffield
S3 7ND
Profile

Dr Maria Tzanou鈥檚  research focuses on European constitutional and human rights law, privacy, data protection, surveillance, the regulation of new and emerging technologies and the inequalities of data privacy law and how these affect vulnerable groups. She is the author of The Fundamental Right to Data Protection. Normative Value in the Context of Counter-Terrorism Surveillance (Hart, 2017) and the editor of Personal Data Protection and Legal Developments in the European Union (IGI Global, 2020) and Health Data Privacy under the GDPR. Big Data Challenges and Regulatory Responses (Routledge, 2021). 

She is currently leading an inter-disciplinary research project funded by the Leverhulme Trust on 鈥楩emTech surveillance: Gendered digital harms and regulatory approaches鈥. The project explores FemTech鈥檚 techno-management of women鈥檚 intimate lives by combining both doctrinal research and empirical analysis and aims to develop an egalitarian data privacy law theory. 

She acts as permanent scientific advisor to the Greek Ministry of Justice on data protection issues. She co-convenes the UK Society of Legal Scholars (SLS) Cyberlaw Section and is an Associate Editor of European Data Protection Law Review.

Before joining Sheffield, she held positions at the University of Keele and Edge Hill University. In 2018, Maria was awarded the Routledge/ Association of Law Teachers (ALT) 鈥楾eaching Law with Technology Prize鈥 for successfully devising and implementing a research-led approach for teaching students the interaction between law and new technologies.

Qualifications

鈥 PCLTHE- Keele University

鈥 PhD- European University Institute

鈥 LLM (Comparative, European and International Laws)- European University Institute

鈥 MA (Advanced Public Law) - Universit茅 de Bordeaux IV and University of Athens

鈥 LLM (European Union Law) 鈥 University of Cambridge

鈥 LLB- University of Athens

Research interests
  • Data Protection Law
  • Privacy Law
  • European Human Rights Law
  • AI and Emerging Technologies Regulation
  • Surveillance

Maria is happy to supervise PhD research in the following areas: privacy and data protection, big data, AI and human rights, surveillance, regulation of emerging technologies.

Publications

Books

  • Tzanou M (2019) The Fundamental Right to Data Protection Normative Value in the Context of Counter-Terrorism Surveillance. Hart Publishing.

Edited books

  • Tzanou M (Ed.) (2020) Health Data Privacy under the GDPR Big Data Challenges and Regulatory Responses..
  • Tzanou M (Ed.) (2020) . IGI Global.

Journal articles

  • Tzanou M & Vogiatzoglou P (2025) . Nordic Journal of European Law, 7(4), 96-129.
  • Tzanou M (2024) Overview 2023: Case Law of the Court of Justice of the EU. European Data Protection Law Review, V-XV.
  • Tzanou M & Vogiatzoglou P (2023) In search of legal certainty regarding 鈥榚ffective redress鈥 in international data transfers: unpacking the conceptual complexities and clarifying the substantive requirements. Review of European Administrative Law, 2023(1).
  • Pitt J & Tzanou M (2022) . IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, 41(2), 20-23.
  • Tzanou M (2022) . IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, 41(2), 105-108.
  • Tzanou M & Karyda S (2022) . European Public Law, 28(1), 123-154.
  • Tzanou M (2020) The future of EU data privacy law: towards a more egalitarian data privacy. Journal of International and Comparative Law, 7(2), 449-470.
  • Tzanou M (2018) Access to communications metadata regardless of the severity of the crime. Leading Internet Case Law.
  • Tzanou M (2015) . Utrecht Journal of International and European Law, 31(80), 87-103.
  • Tzanou M (2013) Is Data Protection the Same as Privacy? An Analysis of Telecommunications鈥 Metadata Retention Measures. Journal of Internet Law.
  • Tzanou M (2013) . International Data Privacy Law, 3(2), 88-99.
  • Tzanou M (2010) . ICL Journal, 4(3), 407-427.
  • Tzanou M (2010) . Croatian Yearbook of European Law and Policy, 6(6).
  • Droubi SE & Tzanou M (2010) . Common Market Law Review, 47(Issue 4), 1233-1253.
  • Tzanou M (2009) . German Law Journal, 10(2), 123-154.
  • Poli S & Tzanou M (2009) . Yearbook of European Law, 28(1), 533-558.
  • Tzanou M & Vogiatzoglou P () National security and new forms of surveillance: from the data retention saga to a data subject centred approach. European Papers.
  • Tzanou M () . Human Rights Law Review.

Book chapters

  • Siapka A, Tzanou M & Nelson A (2024) Re-imagining data protection: Femtech and gendered risks in the GDPR In Costello R & Leiser M (Ed.), Critical Reflections on the EU鈥檚 Data Protection Regime: GDPR in the Machine Hart Publishing (Bloomsbury Publishing)
  • Hamblin K, Heyes J & Allard C (2024) , Combining Work and Care (pp. 104-132). Policy Press
  • Tzanou M (2023) , The Routledge Handbook of Transatlantic Relations (pp. 266-276). Routledge
  • Tzanou M (2021) Schrems I and Schrems II: Assessing the Case for the Extraterritoriality of the EU Fundamental Rights In Fabbrini F, Celeste E & Quinn J (Ed.), Data Protection Beyond Borders Transatlantic Perspectives on Extraterritoriality and Sovereignty Bloomsbury Publishing
  • Tzanou M (2021) , Research Anthology on Privatizing and Securing Data (pp. 1746-1768). IGI Global
  • Tzanou M (2020) The GDPR and (Big) Health Data: Assessing the EU Legislator鈥檚 Choices In Tzanou M (Ed.), Health Data Privacy under the GDPR Big Data Challenges and Regulatory Responses Routledge
  • Tzanou M (2020) Addressing Big Data and AI Challenges A Taxonomy and Why the GDPR Cannot Provide a One-size-fits-all Solution In Tzanou M (Ed.), Health Data Privacy under the GDPR: Big Data Challenges and Regulatory Responses
  • Tzanou M (2020) , Advances in Information Security, Privacy, and Ethics (pp. 279-301). IGI Global
  • Tzanou M (2019) , Cyber Law, Privacy, and Security (pp. 73-99). IGI Global
  • Tzanou M (2018) , Studies in European Economic Law and Regulation (pp. 55-74). Springer International Publishing
  • Tzanou M (2015) , Advances in Information Security, Privacy, and Ethics (pp. 24-50). IGI Global
  • Tzanou M (2012) The EU Data Protection Directive as a Model for Global Regimes In Cassese S, Carotti B, Casini L, Cavalieri E & MacDonald E (Ed.), Global Administrative Law: The Casebook
  • Tzanou M (2012) Human Rights and Terrorism: The Use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) In Cassese S, Carotti B, Casini L, Cavalieri E & MacDonald E (Ed.), Global Administrative Law: The Casebook
  • Tzanou M (2012) The Use of Financial Data to Fight Terrorism: The SWIFT Case In Cassese S, Carotti B, Casini L, Cavalieri E & MacDonald E (Ed.), Global Administrative Law: The Casebook
  • Tzanou M (2012) The Second Generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) and human rights In Cassesse S, Carotti B, Casini L, Cavalieri E & MacDonald E (Ed.), Global Administrative Law: The Casebook
  • Tzanou M (2010) Data protection in EU law: An Analysis of the EU Legal Framework and the ECJ Jurisprudence In Akrivopoulou C & Psygkas A (Ed.), Personal Data Privacy and Protection in a Surveillance Era: Technologies and Practices Technologies and Practices IGI Global
  • Santatzoglou S & Tzanou M () An (In)Adequate Data Protection Regime after Brexit? Bulk Surveillance Powers, National Security and the Future of EU-UK Data Transfers In Celeste E, Harbinja E, Costello R & Xanthoulis N (Ed.), Data Protection and Digital Sovereignty Post-Brexit Hart Publishing
  • Tzanou M () Article 7. Distinction between personal data and verification of quality of personal data In Kosta E, Boehm F & Kamara I (Ed.), The Law Enforcement Directive: A Commentary Oxford University Press
  • Tzanou M () Article 8. Lawfulness of processing In Kosta E, Boehm F & Kamara I (Ed.), The Law Enforcement Directive: A Commentary Oxford University Press
  • Tzanou M () Article 9. Specific processing conditions In Kosta E, Boehm F & Kamara I (Ed.), The Law Enforcement Directive: A Commentary Oxford University Press

Conference proceedings

  • Tzanou M (2011) Law and Ethics in the Modern EU 鈥淪urveillance Society鈥: Are Data Protection Principles 鈥淒ead鈥 in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice? The Case of VIS and EURODAC Information Systems. Values and Freedoms in Modern Information Law & Ethics

Reports

  • Tzanou M, Nelson A, Surtees G & Keren-Paz T (2025) Research Report: Femtech Apps and Wearables and GDPR Compliance: An Empirical Study of Femtech鈥檚 Privacy Policies and Terms of Service under the GDPR

Working papers

  • Shleina V, Fahey E, Klonick K, Men茅ndez Gonz谩lez N, Murray A & Tzanou M (2021) The Law of Facebook: Borders, Regulation and Global Social Media.

Dictionary or encyclopaedia entries

  • Tzanou M (2022) Data Protection/Data Privacy. In Elgar Encyclopedia of Human Rights Edward Elgar Publishing.

Other

  • Tzanou M (2020) .
  • Tzanou M (2018) .

Preprints

  • Tzanou M & Keren-Paz T () .
  • Tzanou M & Siapka A () .
  • Tzanou M & Vogiatzoglou P () .
  • Tzanou M () .
  • Tzanou M () .
  • Tzanou M () .
Research group

Director of Sheffield Centre for International and European Law (SCIEL)

Grants
Title/DescriptionAwarding BodyPeople InvolvedDatesAmounts
'FemTech surveillance: Gendered digital harms and regulatory approaches'Leverhulme TrustDr Maria Tzanou (P-I), Prof Tsachi Keren-Paz and Dr Marco Ortolani (Co-Is)2022-2024拢160,090
鈥楾he ethical and legal challenges of the sharing of health data in social media鈥Society of Legal Scholars (SLS)Dr Maria Tzanou2017- 2018 
鈥楤rexit and the Law School鈥Society of Legal Scholars (SLS)Dr Maria Tzanou2017 
Teaching activities

UG Modules:

  • Advanced EU Law
Professional activities and memberships

鈥 Associate Editor- European Data Protection Law
鈥 Associate Editor- IEEE Technology and Society Magazine (2021- 2022)
鈥 UK Society of Legal Scholars (SLS) Cyberlaw Section Co-convenor
鈥 Member of the European Research Network within The South EU Google Data Governance Chair
鈥 Member of the Society of Legal Scholars
鈥 Member of the Athens Bar Association (GR)- resigned