Greetings from Newfields, New Hampshire!

It’s hard to believe we’re already on the brink of November. It only dawned on me that it was just around the corner when I realized that I, along with many of you, was missing out on the in-person version of the IAPP’s P.S.R. conference.

My first IAPP conference was last year’s P.S.R., where I made some lasting connections and really grasped the magnitude of the work our organization has taken up. Very tough to miss another opportunity to gather and build off that excellent first experience, but I can’t say I’m not proud of the work our organization has done to pivot portions of this year’s P.S.R. slate online.

P.S.R. 2020 Online kicked off Oct. 13 and runs through Nov. 6. Much like we did last summer with our Summit Sessions programming, P.S.R. Online is designed to give folks the same breakout session discussion from the comfort of their own laptop. The lineup of virtual sessions is as wide ranging as you’ve come to expect from your trips to the in-person conference. There are discussions on current matters, like how to handle matters related to the “Schrems II” decision out of Europe, future thinking on the end of third-party cookies or a U.S. privacy law, and operational best practice for devising effective privacy programs.

The efforts to repurpose P.S.R.’s schedule into these virtual offerings is yet another example of the IAPP’s commitment to not only supporting members’ needs through this time, but also of our understanding that such resources and information remain unquestionably valuable despite being presented in a different form. This understanding has allowed us to go further with other digital offerings, as well.

This week marked the start of a five-part series with EY documenting perspectives from a variety of leading voices in the privacy space on how COVID-19 has impacted their work. I think it’s fair to assume the pandemic has altered the modus operandi for a majority of people, but hearing the details of these trials and tribulations faced by the likes of EU data protection authorities, U.S. Federal Trade Commissioners and leading privacy practitioners allows privacy pros a window to empathize on common challenges and potentially learn to tackle these issues with a different mindset. You can keep up with the series in our Resource Center.

Also debuting this week is the fourth edition of "California Privacy Law" by Baker McKenzie Partner Lothar Determann (find print here and digital here). It comes at an important time for professionals caught in California’s ever-changing privacy web. We’re talking about navigating California Consumer Privacy Act compliance while the attorney general’s office considers changes to the law, which may end up being altered further if the California Privacy Rights Act ballot initiative is approved by voters Nov. 3. Hard to keep pace, right? Determann’s breakdown and new insights will help professionals across the privacy spectrum arrive at their respective starting points on the way to grasping California’s regulatory landscape.

But enough of me telling you about all these useful tools. I’ll let you explore their usefulness for yourself.