EDPS

Even after #CyberSecMonth comes to an end, stay alert 🚨! 🎃 Cybercriminals are not taking a break and might keep on tricking you! As cyber threats continue to evolve, protection of personal data remains essential.

Here are some quick cyber tricks:
🍬Not every treat is sweet - beware of phishing emails and think before your click.
👻Don’t fall for a spooky ‘Boo!' - prevent your data from being leaked.
🪄Don’t fall for the spells - verify before you trust someone and share your personal information.

Stay cyber-safe this spooky season and beyond!

🧙‍♀️Don’t get tricked, learn more: https://link.europa.eu/ywbXrQ
🧙‍♀️Listen on how to strenghten your human defences in cybersecurity: https://link.europa.eu/pCrBbj

*** Rule of law and privacy ***

“Even though there is no single definition of the rule of law, there is a common understanding that the rule of law aims to guarantee protection of and respect for human rights.”

With these words, @Supervisor Wojciech Wiewiorowski, , opened his lecture on “Rule of Law and Privacy” at the ELSA Alumni Annual Meeting.

In his speech, he highlighted the fundamental role of privacy in safeguarding individual dignity, freedom and autonomy, and explained why its protection is essential for a democratic state governed by the rule of law.

The Supervisor emphasized: “In the digital age, protecting privacy is not merely one of the consequences of the rule of law. It is one of the conditions that makes the rule of law possible.

Respect for privacy should therefore be regarded not only as a legal obligation, but also as an essential prerequisite for the functioning of a democratic society.

#Privacy #RuleOfLaw #DataProtection #FundamentalRights

*** Data, Trust and AI in the Insurance Sector ***

Today, in the margins of the congress “The New Legal Framework for Insurance: Regulatory Challenges of Institutional Investment. Data and Agentic AI”, organised by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, EDPS @Secretary_General Leonardo Cervera-Navas took part in a roundtable on “Data, Knowledge and Transformation in the Insurance Sector”.

The discussion addressed the role of data as a fundamental infrastructure for innovation and decision-making in the insurance sector, including data governance, data quality, interoperability and data analysis, as well as the associated legal, ethical and organisational challenges.

In his intervention, Leonardo Cervera-Navas stated: “My thesis is simple: in insurance, data is not just an asset; they are a trusted infrastructure. And a trusted infrastructure is governed, not just used.”

He also referred to the EDPS Opinion on the proposal on access to financial data highlighting that access to services necessary for daily life, such as credit, insurance or pensions, should not be made conditional on excessive data processing.

As the possibilities of data analysis expand, the questions extend beyond what data is collected to what is inferred from it, how those inferences are used and what safeguards are in place.

“Behind every dataset, every cloud contract, and every algorithm are people. Innovation only makes sense if it serves them.” concluded the Secretary-General.

#DataProtection #AI #Insurance

EDPS Press Release

✈️ EU-US border information exchange: effective safeguards are essential to protect fundamental rights in practice.

A new EDPS Opinion comments on the European Commission’s proposal for a framework agreement between the EU and the US on sharing information to verify, screen and vet travellers. The proposed framework would set common conditions for the reciprocal exchange of data between the authorities of EU Member States and the US for border checks, travel authorisations and visas. The proposal is linked to a US requirement for partner countries in the US Visa Waiver Program to conclude an ‘Enhanced Border Security Partnership’ by the end of 2026.

The Opinion sets out the safeguards needed to keep the processing of personal data limited to what is strictly necessary and proportionate. Its recommendations include:
• the possible offences considered as presenting risks to ‘public order’ and ‘public security’ should be clearly specified;
• competent authorities should establish an objective link between the risk and the individual concerned on a case-by-case basis;
• the Commission should monitor whether judicial redress is available in practice for anyone affected, regardless of their citizenship or nationality.

@Supervisor Wojciech Wiewiórowski said: “This would be the first time the EU agrees to share personal data, including biometrics, with a third country on this scale for border control. All the necessary safeguards must be in place to ensure the protection of individuals, including real oversight on both sides of the Atlantic.”

👉 Read the press release: https://link.europa.eu/QC3dVV

📄 Read the full Opinion: https://link.europa.eu/84RvgQ

Welcome to the latest edition of the EDPS Newsletter.

Inside:
🎧 Why do cyberattacks start with us? On EDPS on Air, our Technology and Security Officer Konstantina Vemou explains how AI is making phishing harder to spot, and why a once-a-year e-learning module is no longer enough.

🏆 The EDPS receives the Future of Privacy Forum’s 2026 EU Regulator Award for its leadership in safeguarding privacy across the EU institutions.

🤖 Making AI visible: most of the AI Act’s transparency obligations now apply, and EU institutions shared how they’re putting them into practice at the fourth meeting of our AI Act Correspondents Network.

🧭 Weak point, or last line of defence? For European Cybersecurity Month, we look at why well-trained staff are often the best protection, with an updated factsheet on personal data breaches.

🏥 Cross-border health data: our recommendations for the HealthData@EU cross-border infrastructure, so individuals know who to turn to about their personal data.

✈️ What does an airline know about you when you fly to Seoul? Our recommendations are reflected in the final EU–Korea passenger data agreement.

🎙️ And the Supervisor on the economic value of privacy: “The question is not whether we can afford privacy. It is whether we have ever properly counted what we lose without it.”

Read it here: https://lnkd.in/epkc_MZk
And remember to subscribe for free: https://lnkd.in/eGZkh5M2

*** Spain Digital Week ***

Digital humanism as the compass for the AI era.

At Spain Digital Week, organised by Adigital at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU, the EDPS @Secretary_General Leonardo Cervera-Navas delivered a speech on the role of the EDPS in a world increasingly governed by AI.

He described AI as an amplifier, of both the benefits of digitalisation and its risks, particularly where automated decisions affect people who do not know a machine is involved.

“AI amplifies the good brought forth by digitalization allowing for greater efficiency, improved access to services and new opportunities. But it also exacerbates the bad, raising considerable risks as automated decisions are susceptible of profoundly affecting the lives of individuals.” Leonardo Cervera-Navas noted.

He explained how the EDPS’s role has evolved: in addition to supervising EU institutions under the EUDPR, the EDPS is now a notified body and market surveillance authority under the AI Act. He presented two initiatives to strengthen coordination across the EU digital rulebook: the AI Act Correspondents Network and the proposed Digital Clearinghouse 2.0.

The Secretary General also stressed that reducing administrative burden and protecting fundamental rights are two different exercises, as the European Data Protection Board and EDPS warned in their joint opinion on the omnibus proposal.

“In a world where AI is becoming embedded in how we live and work, trust may become one of the most valuable qualities the EU digital infrastructure will have to offer. At the EDPS, we are working hard to build and protect that trust because we strongly believe that it is the key for a sustainable digital future.” Leonardo Cervera-Navas added.