It’s Data Privacy Day next week — next Thursday, to be precise. How are you going to mark it? 

Remember the days when we were able to have great in-person DPD events around the world? Hopefully, next year will be different, but in the meantime, there are lots of webinars being offered, and several KnowledgeNet chapters are holding virtual happy hours. It’s a good time to connect with fellow privacy pros and take stock that we work in a dynamic and ever-challenging profession.

I’m told the theme of this year’s DPD is twofold. For individuals, the message is "Own Your Privacy." For businesses, it’s "Respect Privacy." Well, I do this second one day in and day out, like all of you, so that shouldn’t be too hard. "Own Your Privacy," on the other hand … I admit to sometimes giving up a little more than I should for the sake of convenience or the enjoyment of a few bells and whistles. I’ve also been the one to say I wouldn’t mind having an implant in my hand to get into my building even easier, without a fob, but I digress.

As individuals, let’s take a moment to ensure we’re practicing what we preach. As privacy pros, let’s use the day to underline the importance of respecting privacy with all the organizations we deal with — and help them get there.

DPD isn’t the only thing happening next week. The House of Commons gets back to legislating. You may have heard that Navdeep Bains stepped down from his role as Minister of Innovation Science and Economic Development recently and was replaced with Minister François-Philippe Champagne. The good news is that the 2019 mandate letters did not change (they were just complemented by new priorities), and all indications are that privacy reform remains a commitment for this government. Fingers crossed that Bill C-11 will be prioritized when the House resumes — not to mention, the important work being done to modernize the federal Privacy Act.

And south of the border, with the new president in place, things are also changing at a rapid pace. President Biden (it’s nice not to have to call him president-elect anymore) named Christopher Hoff to lead the negotiations to get Privacy Shield up and running once again. And, of course, there are still rumors of comprehensive federal privacy legislation in the U.S., especially as more and more states are jumping into the ring (the latest being Virginia and Oklahoma).

So, lots to take stock of as we stop and think about the approximately 65,000 IAPP members who will celebrate all the great work they do on Thursday. Enjoy it!