Seven Years of GDPR: Balancing Power Between Organizations and Data Subjects Through Trust

In this milestone episode of the Fit4Privacy podcast, host Punit Bhatia is joined by three distinguished privacy experts — Dr. Kerry Miller (AI Governance Expert, U.S.), Heidi Waem (Partner, DLA Piper, Brussels), and Dr. Valerie Lyons (COO, BH Consulting; Academic & Author) — to reflect on 7 years of GDPR and explore what lies ahead.  Whether you’re a privacy professional, business leader, or just curious about how data protection shapes our digital lives, this conversation offers both a critical reflection on GDPR’s first seven years and foresight into its future role in AI and trust.  KEY CONVERSION  00:03:25 Panelist Introductions and Initial Thoughts on GDPR  00:09:06 Significant challenge that remains in up to 7-9 years of GDPR  00:18:10 Has there been a fair amount of reporting on compliance failures over the years?  00:21:11 EU Compliance Gaps and How Companies Can Avoid Them   00:29:56 Has the GDPR has been successful in balancing the power equilibrium of organization and data subjects?   00:35:35 Role of trust after 7 years of GDPR   00:41:39 From GDPR compliance in AI World, what can be done additionally?   ABOUT GUEST  Heidi Waem is the head of the data protection practice at DLA Piper Belgium and specialized in data protection and privacy. She assists clients with all aspects of EU Regulatory Data Protection compliance including the ‘structuring’ of data processing and sharing activities to achieve an optimal use of data, advising on data transfers and the processing of personal data by means of new technologies (AI, facial recognition,…). Dr. Cari Miller is the Principal and Lead Researcher for the Center for Inclusive Change. She is a subject matter expert in AI risk management and governance practices, an experienced corporate strategist, and a certified change manager. Dr. Miller creates and delivers AI literacy training, AI procurement guidance, AI policy coaching, and AI audit and assessment advisory services. Dr. Valerie Lyons is a globally recognized authority in privacy, cybersecurity, data protection, and AI governance. Holding a PhD in Information Privacy along with CDPSE, CISSP, and CIPP/E certifications, she serves as a trusted strategic advisor to regulatory bodies and organizations across both public and private sectors. Valerie has played an influential role in shaping EU-wide data protection frameworks and enforcement strategies, and is an active member of the European Data Protection Board’s pool of experts, as well as other global cyber and data protection bodies.  ABOUT HOST Punit Bhatia is one of the leading privacy experts who works independently and has worked with professionals in over 30 countries. Punit works with business and privacy leaders to create an organization culture with high privacy awareness and compliance as a business priority. Selectively, Punit is open to mentor and coach professionals.   Punit is the author of books “Be Ready for GDPR' which was rated as the best GDPR Book, “AI & Privacy – How to Find Balance”, “Intro To GDPR”, and “Be an Effective DPO”. Punit is a global speaker who has spoken at over 30 global events. Punit is the creator and host of the FIT4PRIVACY Podcast. This podcast has been featured amongst top GDPR and privacy podcasts. As a person, Punit is an avid thinker and believes in thinking, believing, and acting in line with one’s value to have joy in life. He has developed the philosophy named ‘ABC for joy of life’ which passionately shares. Punit is based out of Belgium, the heart of Europe.   RESOURCES Websites ⁠⁠www.fit4privacy.com⁠⁠,⁠⁠www.punitbhatia.com⁠⁠, ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiwaem/⁠⁠, ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-miller/⁠⁠, ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerielyons-privsec/⁠⁠  Podcast⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fit4privacy.com/podcast⁠⁠  Blog ⁠⁠https://www.fit4privacy.com/blog⁠⁠  YouTube ⁠⁠http://youtube.com/fit4privacy⁠⁠