Greetings from Portsmouth, New Hampshire!

Next week is a big one for the IAPP and the greater privacy community. The IAPP's Privacy. Security. Risk. 2021 is set to kick off in San Diego, with training and workshops Oct. 19 and 20 prior to the main conference Oct. 21 and 22. It’s the first in-person conference on U.S. soil for our organization since P.S.R. in Las Vegas, two years ago. Editorial Director Jed Bracy and I will be on the ground in “America’s Finest City” to bring folks coverage of all the big happenings from the event.

My first and only IAPP conference experience came at P.S.R. 2019, so I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to get back out and report, learn and network. I was still somewhat fresh and naïve to the privacy world in 2019, so I didn’t really know what to look for or expect from that first conference. Being a bit more well-versed and immersed in the subject matter now, here are some things I’ll be looking forward to at this year’s event:

• There are two keynotes I will pay close attention to from a U.S. regulatory standpoint. Thursday’s talk between California Supervising Deputy Attorney General Stacey Schesser and California Privacy Protection Agency Board Member Lydia de la Torre should produce some fascinating information on California privacy law enforcement. Given the CPPA has established its leadership, I’ll be curious to hear about preliminary coordination and a path forward on enforcement. Friday’s speech from U.S. Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter will be a must-listen after so much talk in recent weeks about boosting FTC powers and resources as well as desires for privacy rulemaking.
• A light will be shined on privacy practices in the advertising technology space, but specifically around the topic of user consent. One panel will take a more focused look at consent for data collection and use while another will explore the future of consent in a cookieless world. Adtech continues to sit at a crossroads on consent and privacy, so these sessions are likely to provide insights into a path forward.
• P.S.R. always intends to dive into the latter two portions of its acronym and this year is no exception. With a rise in cyberattacks, specifically ransomware, and subsequent data breaches, the conference’s program is jammed with sessions dedicated to topics covering security operations management, incident response and risk mitigation.

I’m really looking forward to keeping folks in the loop and helping cure the “fear of missing out” that some folks remaining at home might have. If you are joining us in San Diego, look me up and we can set aside some time to talk shop.

Until next time,