EDPS On Air

This time, we took a look at three important developments: a new strategic document setting out how we plan to supervise AI across EU public administration, a joint opinion on Europe’s cybersecurity package, and another joint opinion on the proposed European Biotech Act and what it means for health data. We have also got a couple of dates to put in your calendar before we sign off: EU Open Day on 9 May 2026 and the High-Level Debate: “From Omnibus to Opportunity: Driving Data Protection and Innovation” on 8 June 2026.

Today, we are focusing on three key developments shaping the future of data protection in Europe: the AI Act moving into practice, new regulatory proposals where fundamental rights are at stake, and fresh moves to strengthen data protection governance inside EU institutions.

TechDispatch Talks explores the intersection of technology, data protection, and privacy. In this episode, we discuss how Digital Identity Wallets could transform the way we prove who we are online and offline. This year, each EU Member State will offer at least one official European Digital Identity Wallet. Instead of swimming in dozens of passwords or relying on ‘Log in with’ platforms, we could use one secure wallet on our phone to store digital credentials - from our ID, driving license to university diplomas or gym card - and share only what is necessary with a high level of cybersecurity. Could it reduce data oversharing and profiling while also examining the real privacy and security risks? Join us to know more about digital identity wallets. For more information read the publication.

As their five-month traineeship at the EDPS comes to an end, three of the October 2025 Blue Book Trainees take over our podcast, #EDPSonAir, to reflect on their experience inside the EU institutions. In this special episode, they look back on their journey: What is it really like to be a Blue Book trainee? Which projects did they work on? What happens behind the scenes at the EDPS? And where did their paths begin before joining us? As a highlight, they share insights into the organisation of their own conference “Data takes flight: Navigating privacy at the airport”.

On 28 January 2026, together with Council of Europe we celebrated the signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding treaty protecting privacy in the digital age. On that day we co-organised a one-day event focused on new frontiers in data protection. The conference was truly about connection between people, ideas and our data-driven society. This special episode was done in collaboration with the privacy expert Jennifer Crama. The podcast titled 'Data & The City' makes complex topics related to data protection accessible and refreshingly human, exploring how digital rules shape the way we live, work, shop, and connect, proving that, in the digital age, privacy is not just legal text, but a lifestyle choice. With our great line-up of speakers, we reflected on the key takeaways from the sessions and the conversations they sparked. Have a listen. More info find here: https://data-protection-day.eu/

Do AI-driven personalised learning systems empower students? Or do they turn education into continuous monitoring and profiling? How much autonomy do learners have when algorithms decide what comes next? As concerns about children’s rights, bias, consent and inequality grow, this episode explores, with our expert Saskia Keskpaik , where the ethical and legal boundaries should be drawn. This episode is one of a series observing 6 AI trends from the TechSonar 2025-2026 : covering agentic AI, AI companions, automated proctoring, AI-driven personalised learning, coding assistants, and confidential computing. Better tune in.

As data increasingly moves to the cloud, can we really trust who has access to it while it is being processed? Does protecting data ‘in use’ fundamentally change long-standing security or does it simply shift the risk elsewhere? As confidential computing technology converges with AI and privacy-enhancing tools, questions around trust, control and hardware dependency become crucial. The promises, limits and real-world implications of confidential computing are explored in this episode with Massimo Attoresi. This episode is one of a series observing 6 AI trends from the TechSonar 2025-2026 : covering agentic AI, AI companions, automated proctoring, AI-driven personalised learning, coding assistants, and confidential computing. Better tune in.

What happens when exams are no longer overseen by people but by our webcams and microphones? Who truly benefits from automated proctoring and who is placed at greater risk by bias, surveillance or data misuse? How does outsourcing exam integrity to AI reshape fairness and accessibility? Xabier Lareo joins us to discuss how to balance exam integrity and efficiency with fundamental rights to data protection and privacy. This episode is one of a series observing 6 AI trends from the TechSonar 2025-2026 : covering agentic AI, AI companions, automated proctoring, AI-driven personalised learning, coding assistants, and confidential computing. Better tune in.

What if a machine listens, remembers and cares like a friend or even a loved one? Who benefits most from digital intimacy and who is most at risk? Does ‘data extraction through intimacy’ reshape our behaviour and self-determination? Can we draw ethical and legal lines? We will discuss these and other questions raised around privacy, consent and influence with Vítor Bernardo. This episode is one of a series observing 6 AI trends from the TechSonar 2025-2026 : covering agentic AI, AI companions, automated proctoring, AI-driven personalised learning, coding assistants, and confidential computing. Better tune in.

How are AI-powered coding assistants transforming software development? Will greater accessibility lead to new data protection challenges? Can organisations and service providers build stronger governance and privacy-by-design into coding assistants? With our guest, Laura Hernandez, we will decode the key risks, responsibilities and opportunities behind AI coding assistants. This episode is one of a series observing 6 AI trends from the TechSonar 2025-2026 : covering agentic AI, AI companions, automated proctoring, AI-driven personalised learning, coding assistants, and confidential computing. Better tune in.