Annual Privacy Forum
The value of personal data in the online world has significantly increased over the last years as electronic products, services and processes have permeated every fold of everyday life. Limitations in the transparency, the functionality and interconnectivity of online and communication services increases the risk of having personal data processed out of control of any accountable person or organization or simply becoming exposed to all sorts of privacy threats.
The EU legal framework on personal data protection is key in an effort to better control the processing of personal data while ensuring an adequate level of protection. Even the best legislative efforts cannot keep up to speed with the pace of innovative technology and business models that challenge the way personal data is processed and privacy is protected across the EU and beyond; therefore, examining what is at stake and where threats thereto originate from becomes of paramount importance
This year's conference theme Ten Years of GDPR – Engineering the Future reflects both on the existing EU legal framework as a cornerstone for empowering individuals as well as on the future of personal data protection. A decade after the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), this EU legal framework together with the technical developments remains the global point of reference for empowering individuals and ensuring a high level of protection in terms of privacy. However, the challenges of the next decade look very different from the last. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, data-driven business models and governmental practices, and complex digital services are testing the limits of established privacy norms in Europe and beyond. In line with previous editions, the conference brings together privacy and data protection researchers, policymakers, lawyers, technology experts, and activists to discuss current trends and developments in data protection.
Against this background, APF 2026 invites you to Salzburg on September 9-10.
Speakers and Team
Frank Pallas
University of Salzburg
Nicola Leschke
University of Salzburg
Kai Rannenberg
Goethe University Frankfurt
Narges Arastouei
Goethe University Frankfurt
Mahdi Akil
University of Salzburg
Michael Friedewald
Fraunhofer ISI
Petros Efstathopoulos
RSAC conference
Meiko Jensen
Karlstad University