Guided by global voices

I write this only days after the annual Data Privacy Day. Data Privacy Day created a lot of buzz in this, its third year. Privacy regulators, governments, organizations, and businesses in 29 nations recognized the day in various ways. We were pleased to see so many IAPP members playing a big part in generating awareness about the important and challenging issues we work on every day.

The federal privacy commissioner of Canada, Jennifer Stoddart, perhaps put it best in her Data Privacy Day proclamation when she said that in today's wired world, protecting and promoting privacy rights demands a coordinated approach. "This cannot be done on a province-by-province or country-by-country basis…," she wrote. "The only way to achieve meaningful progress in such a complex environment is to work collectively to find broader solutions."

Commissioner Stoddart and many other privacy regulators will join us next month in Washington, DC. Data protection authorities presenting at the Privacy Summit include Yann Padova, secretary general of the CNIL; Artemi Rallo, director of the Spanish Data Protection Agency; Yoram Hocohen, head of the Israeli Law Information and Technology Authority; Richard Thomas, UK information commissioner; Joanne McNabb, head of the California Office of Privacy Protection; and former privacy commissioner of Australia, Malcolm Crompton among others.

Where else can you interact with so many privacy regulators and the experts who help shape their policies?

We are also very excited to bring Frank Abagnale and Bruce Schneier to this year's Summit. Frank Abagnale's illustrious if brief career as an identity fraud extraordinaire makes him especially qualified to help fight identity crime, which is what he's been doing for the last three decades. We look forward to Frank's keynote address and breakout fraud seminar: "The Art of the Steal."

Bruce Schneier previews his Summit keynote address in this issue of Privacy Advisor. See page 9 for more.

The IAPP Privacy Summit has become the largest and most global privacy event in the world. The area is growing, the issues are compounding, and this year's event reflects that, with more than 60 educational and networking sessions from which to choose. We hope you will join us.

Sincerely,

J. Trevor Hughes, CIPP
Executive Director, IAPP