PL&B conference gathers together privacy experts from 20+ countries
05/07/2017
Privacy Laws & Business 30th Annual International Conference in Cambridge gathered together the main stakeholders in the data protection field for a three-day event 3-5 July. Speaking yesterday was the UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham, who stressed the importance of privacy protection for the individual to create more trust in digital services. On the subject of the EU General Data Protection Regulation, she said that the ICO will, from time to time, need to use its stronger new enforcement powers, but that ‘we can achieve so much more by guiding and not commanding’.
Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, President of the CNIL, France’s Data Protection Authority, and EU Article 29 Working Party, said that by December the EU DPAs will issue guidance on consent, breach notification and transparency. She also said that ‘everything will not automatically become illegal in May 2018’, implying that companies should not wait to start their preparations, but equally the DPAs will use common sense if they see that organisations are clearly in the middle of organising their compliance.
The Irish Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon commented on the One-Stop-Shop and criticisms on her office’s perceived lack of enforcement. She said that if the One-Stop-Shop fails it is not the fault of the Irish DPA, but the fact that other DPAs have undermined its efforts. Dixon said that a heavy handed approach is not always needed.
The conference continues today, 5 July. See www.privacylaws.com/annualconference