Discussing the Role of Civil Liberties and Privacy Officers in Surveillance and Redress at the IAPP Conference in Brussels

Upon invitation by Alex Joel, Thorsten Wetzling participated in a discussion on The Role of Civil Liberties and Privacy Officers in Surveillance and Redress at the International Association of Privacy Professionals Data Protection Congress in Brussels.

As companies process and transmit data around the globe, a key component of trust is confidence that other governments are implementing safeguards. Internal data protection and privacy officials play a vital function that until recently may not have been widely appreciated. Understanding their roles can help companies better understand how governments protect privacy as they access and use data for law enforcement and national security purposes. The new EU-US Data Privacy Framework has shone a light on the U.S. Intelligence Community's lead privacy and civil liberties official - the Civil Liberties Protection Officer - assigning that officer a vital role in the new redress mechanism. This panel will explore how putting in place civil liberties and privacy officers is best practice for institutions and companies conducting national security activities. Such officers can not only help build trust but also develop effective protections and facilitate oversight and redress.