Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- Marks ten years since GDPR implementation with critical examination of whether data protection frameworks need reinvention or face retreat
- Addresses AI governance, post-quantum cryptography, agentic AI risks, and the intersection of privacy with competition law
- Covers regulatory developments including the Digital Omnibus, AI Act, and evolving approaches to data sharing and interoperability
- Designed for data protection officers, privacy counsel, policymakers, regulators, and technology executives navigating European digital regulation
- In-person format featuring panels, keynotes, breakout workshops, and networking at Les Ateliers des Tanneurs in Brussels
About the Event
The Brussels Privacy Symposium 2026 is the 10th anniversary edition of a conference jointly organised by the Future of Privacy Forum and the Brussels Privacy Hub of Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The 2026 theme, “The Next Decade of Data Protection: Retreat or Reinvention?”, frames discussions around whether existing privacy frameworks can withstand rapid technological change or require fundamental adaptation.
The symposium convenes policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, and industry leaders for panels, keynotes, and interactive workshops. The format emphasises multidisciplinary dialogue, with breakout sessions offering hands-on scenario analysis alongside executive-level policy debate.
Technical and Legal Topics
Sessions examine the future trajectory of GDPR and broader EU data protection law, with particular attention to how these frameworks interact with emerging AI governance requirements under the AI Act. The programme addresses practical challenges in anonymisation and pseudonymisation, age verification mechanisms, and the technical complexities of data sharing in AI-driven environments.
Post-quantum cryptography features as a forward-looking topic, reflecting growing concern about quantum computing’s implications for data security. The agenda also covers agentic AI risks, where autonomous systems make decisions with limited human oversight, raising novel accountability questions under existing privacy law.
Regulatory and Policy Context
The symposium situates privacy within the broader European digital regulatory landscape, including platform regulation, digital sovereignty, and the Digital Omnibus. Discussions explore regulatory coherence across overlapping frameworks and the tension between fostering innovation and protecting fundamental rights. Children’s online protection and the intersection of privacy with competition law receive dedicated attention.
Who Should Attend
The symposium targets privacy professionals, data protection officers, chief privacy officers, legal counsel, policy advisors, regulatory affairs managers, and senior government officials. Academic researchers and civil society advocates working on digital rights will find relevant policy discussions, while technology industry leaders can engage with the regulatory direction affecting product development and compliance strategy across Europe and globally.
Sponsors
Microsoft serves as Platinum sponsor, with Prosus at Gold level. CEP sponsors the symposium’s award programme.