9:00 am –
9:30 am CET

REGISTRATION

Check-In, Welcome Coffee & Light Bites

9:30 am –
9:35 am CET

WELCOME REMARKS

Future of Privacy Forum & Brussels Privacy Hub of VUB

9:35 am –
10:00 am CET

OPENING KEYNOTE

Speaker to be announced!

10:00 am –
10:45 am CET

PANEL I – The Data Protection Acquis: Retreat or Reinvention?

With Digital Omnibus negotiations going full steam ahead, proposed changes to the GDPR seek to recalibrate the scope of data protection law. Remaining areas of deliberation such as the personal data and scientific research definitions, and the scope of sensitive data processing, are clearly marked by evolving needs for AI development. At the same time, negotiations are embedded in the ongoing restructuring of global power dynamics, European digital sovereignty debates, and competitiveness, raising questions about the future of the EU data protection acquis and its role within an evolving digital regulatory framework. Panelists will debate:

• Retreat or reinvention: Which resonates more with the role of data protection in the Digital Rulebook? 
• Are we seeing an evolution of the European data protection model or a more fundamental shift in its underlying philosophy
• How should we think about the role of data protection within the broader digital policy landscape?
• What are your non-negotiables in the Digital Omnibus, and solutions for ways forward?

Speakers to be announced!

10:45 am –
11:15 am CET

COFFEE BREAK

11:15 am –
11:40 am CET

MY DATA IS MINE 2026 – The Next Decade of Data Governance: Do GDPR and ePrivacy need an overhaul for the AI era, or are they still fit for purpose?

As artificial intelligence fundamentally reshapes the technological landscape, our regulatory frameworks face an unprecedented stress test. This brief panel exchange will bring together experts to debate whether current foundational frameworks like GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive remain resilient enough to govern AI, or if the next decade demands a radical overhaul of data privacy rules. During this session, we will also officially announce and celebrate the winner of the “My Data is Mine 2026” Award.

Speaker to be announced!

11:40 am –
12:25 pm CET

PANEL II  – To Share or Not to Share? Platform Regulation Meets Privacy

In the broader context of digital market regulation, data-sharing and interoperability obligations are increasingly viewed as tools to enhance competition, reduce lock-in effects, improve market contestability, and foster innovation. At the same time, the increased flow of data between platforms, business users, and third parties raises important questions regarding privacy, data protection, and regulatory coherence, bringing into sharper focus the technical and legal challenges with data sharing in practice. Panelists will address:

• Are privacy and competition objectives increasingly aligned or increasingly in conflict? 
• In the age of AI, could opening up systems to third parties increase cybersecurity risks?
• Is the concept of “data portability” still fit for purpose in ecosystems dominated by machine learning systems?

Speakers to be announced!

12:25 pm –
1:30 pm CET

LUNCH BREAK

1:30 pm –
2:30 pm CET

BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS – HAVE YOUR SAY!

TOPIC 1: Practical Trilogue Simulation of Digital Omnibus Negotiations

Now a Brussels Privacy Symposium tradition, this workshop is a unique opportunity to take on the role of an EU Parliament, Commission or Council representative, and negotiate your position on key Digital Omnibus provisions.

TOPIC 2: When is data no longer personal? Revisiting anonymisation and pseudonymisation

The notion of what constitutes personal data, and for whom, stands at the center of the EU Digital Rulebook. Through practical use-cases, this session encourages participants to explore the practical dimensions of pseudonymisation and anonymisation, and arrive at a definition of personal data that is fit for purpose and ensures legal certainty for all stakeholders.

TOPIC 3: From Age Assurance to Age Verification

As discussions on youth online protection intensify, the European Commission is encouraging Member States to make age verification solutions available at national level. Through practical use-cases, this workshop explores technical methods for age verification, engaging with ongoing debates at the intersection of privacy and children protection/empowerment in digital spaces.

Speakers to be announced!

2:30 pm –
2:45 pm CET

REPORTING BACK FROM WORKSHOPS

Join us back in plenary as we share key learnings and take-aways from the Breakout Workshops.

Workshop Facilitators

2:45 pm –
3:05 pm CET

HONORED GUEST SPEAKER TALK

Speaker to be announced!

3:05 pm –
3:30 pm CET

COFFEE BREAK

3:30 pm –
3:45 pm CET

LIGHTNING TALK

Speaker to be announced!

3:45 pm –
4:30 pm CET

PANEL III – Visions for the Next Decade of Tech: From Uncertainty to Solutions

From advances in AI, robotics, quantum computing to new digital and scientific discoveries, the next decade will bring opportunities and risks that extend beyond today’s debates. We are now facing a growing challenge: how to govern a future that remains difficult to predict. The next decade will test the resilience of the principles that have thus far shaped EU data protection law. The challenge is not only how to regulate new technologies, but how to ensure that the values underpinning data protection remain effective in an era defined by a rapidly changing technological and geopolitical landscape.

• Where is technology going over the next decade, and where should resources be invested? 
• What are the panelists’ proposals for regulatory solutions to address the technological and regulatory needs of the next decade? 
• Which guiding principles should remain constant and which should evolve? 
• What are the panelists’ non-negotiables for the future of privacy and data protection within the evolving technological landscape?

Speakers to be announced!

4:30 pm –
4:50 pm CET

“IN DIALOGUE”

Speakers to be announced!

4:50 pm –
5:00 pm CET

CLOSING REMARKS

Thank you from the Organisers.

Speakers to be announced!

5:00 pm –
6:00 pm CET

BITES & COCKTAIL RECEPTION

We invite you to close the 10th edition of the Brussels Privacy Symposium with us, and join us for cocktails.