Notwithstanding the improvements that Big Data technologies may bring about to the performance of both private and public services, a true fear arises that this new paradigm be the last nail on what is left of privacy’s coffin, and, ultimately, lead us to a society in which surveillance is comprehensive and pervasive. A related concern is the actual, largely uncontrolled, power of the main online providers (Google, Facebook, etc.) to decide on what and how to collect, store, process and apply personal data. At a time when the EU is reforming its data protection law, it looks reasonable to ask whether this reform is tackling the Big Data challenges. Following a brief review of the evolution of the data protection regimes in Europe, our analysis will focus on two key data protection principles, purpose limitation and consent, which are manifestly challenged by Big Data technologies, and on the anticipated fading of the role of supervisory authorities

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Data protection, Big Data, European Union, General Data Protection Regulation, Fundamental Rights, Data Protection Authorities