This story has been updated. Please see the most recent update below.

On November 1, 2024, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) announced that it participated in the Global Privacy Assembly's (GPA) annual conference. The OPC stated that the conference brought together data protection and privacy authorities from more than 90 countries, as well as industry leaders to discuss privacy issues such as cross-border data flows, artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, and privacy education.

The OPC noted that the members endorsed two resolutions that were co-sponsored by the OPC:

• a resolution on certification mechanisms that seeks to promote the adoption, and potential streamlining, of robust privacy and data protection standards so that organizations may confidently engage in cross-border data transfers and quickly assess the level of privacy and data protection of products and services; and
• a resolution on Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and an effective regulation of global data flows that calls on lawmakers, policymakers, and regulators to work towards ensuring that data transfer tools are standardized and interoperable.

Moreover, the members passed a resolution related to the protection and preservation of privacy in the use of neurodata and neurotechnologies.

You can read the press release here.

Updated: November 4, 2024

Germany: BfDI announces adoption of DFFT

On November 1, 2024, the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) announced that the GPA adopted recommendations on the DFFT during its latest conference that took place from October 28, 2024, to November 1, 2024. The BfDI outlined that the DFFT, drafted together with the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), defines the core data protection elements for DFFT, which bring closer the legal frameworks and transmission instruments such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or certification.

The BfDI also confirmed that it participated in the discussion on, among other things, the large language models as AI technology and presented the current work of the International Working Group on Data Protection in Technology. 

You can read the press release, only available in German, here.

Updated: November 7, 2024

Mexico: INAI confirms participation at GPA conference

On October 29, 2024, the National Institute for Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) confirmed its participation at the GPA conference. The INAI Commissioner stressed that data protection authorities have the responsibility to guarantee the right to privacy and to create laws that strengthen the ability of citizens to exercise effective control over their personal information.

You can read the press release, only available in Spanish, here.