IAPP Privacy. Security. Risk. 2020

Recap: P.S.R. 2019

P.S.R. 2019 weighed the impact of
technology’s march into privacy

IAPP Privacy. Security. Risk. 2019 took on the digital world’s growing presence in daily life and the big operational issues in privacy program management.

Keynote speakers took privacy out of policy and operations realms and put them in a human perspective. A scene from the upcoming play “The Right to Be Forgotten” dramatized how evolving technologies operating on a massive scale affect individual lives. On the operational side, attendees chose from a deep selection of breakout sessions on practical subjects and heard from a panel of California privacy experts on the impending California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) compliance deadline.

Kashmir Hill, a technology reporter for the New York Times, described the difficulty of unplugging from the major technology companies and still living a “normal” life. Disconnecting from Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple one at a time revealed how entrenched they were in her life – and by extension, those of everyone who uses them. Janelle Shane took a humorous look at the current anxiety around the artificial intelligence’s perceived reach. She presented a series of anecdotes that illustrated how AI applications are limited by human input.

Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said this generation of privacy professionals is making history because it is dealing with the first “inexhaustible capital asset” ̶ personal data ̶ in a regulatory and legislative environment still built around finite assets like oil. He encouraged them to embrace their role.

“The Right to Be Forgotten” dramatizes the struggle of a man trying to erase the mistakes of his youth from the internet. Play Director Seema Sueko and the cast presented a scene that explored the ethical and moral implications of technology that never forgets ̶ but perhaps should, in some cases.

Popular breakout sessions included managing data subject access requests, tips for presenting to boards of directors, defining vendor relationships, and tips for building a strong privacy program in a turbulent regulatory ecosystem. The schedule also left plenty of time for networking and relaxation at events such as the 5-Minute Mixer and the Party at the Chelsea. Scroll down for a full recap.

Access 2019 Presentations

Where Did All the Handouts Go?
All literature handouts will now be provided in digital format instead of paper. You can access them conveniently before, during or after the conference at iapp.org/psr-handouts.

Relentlessly Practical, Operationally Focused
2019 Session Highlights

Digital Identity is the Wizard Behind the Curtain

Digital identity is the financial industry’s key to an Emerald City laden with profitable new services. In the breakout session “Be the Wiz at Digital Identity in Financial Technology,” a panel of industry experts shared strategies and real-life examples to help organizations “ease on down the road” to working digital identity into product development.

Delete That Data Before It Goes Dark

If you think hitting the “delete” button is hard, try having your data go “dark” and regressing from asset to liability. The panel “Delete: The Button No One Wants to Press,” recommended ways to make friends with the delete key. Panelists described how to visualize data, extrapolate value, and mitigate risk to decide when data should go.

What Would You Do? Matching Wits With All-Star Privacy Professionals

Attendees put themselves in the shoes of top data protection officers from GlaxoSmithKline, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, T Rowe Price and PA Consulting in the breakout session “Think Fast! Simulated Decision Making with Global Privacy Leaders.” Panelists split the audience into four groups, gave them tricky privacy situations to unravel, and offered guidance on what would work.

‘The Right to Be Forgotten’ on the P.S.R. 2019 Stage

The P.S.R. audience was treated to a preview of Sharyn Rothstein’s new play “The Right to Be Forgotten,” an exploration of an issue well known to privacy professionals. The play dramatizes the struggles of protagonist Derrill Lark and his lawyer, Marta Lee, to have the parts of Derrill’s pat removed from the internet. IAPP member Christopher Wolf noticed “Right” in the 2019-20 season lineup for Washington D.C.’s Arena Stage and recommended it to the IAPP staff. Wolf and director Seema Sueko introduced a scene performed by John Austin as Lark, Melody Bitiu as Lee, and Guadalupe Campos as Eve Selinsky.