Can we shift the focus from documentation to technical implementation? How can we bridge the cultural differences between legal teams and engineers? What do we mean with open-source data classification?

We are joined by Cillian Kieran, Ethyca’s CEO and founder, in a new installment of our Privacy Tech series. Cillian is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned privacy engineer with two decades of experience leading data-intensive businesses. He combines deep technical expertise with a track record of building and scaling companies, including a global digital agency serving Fortune 500 clients. 

References:

• Fides: the open source language for data privacy
• Cillian Kieran on LinkedIn
• Ethyca
• Max Anderson (Ketch): Privacy Tech spotlight I – the future of CMPs, value vs. hype in privacy compliance SaaS (Masters of Privacy, April 2025)
• Daniel Barber (DataGrail): Privacy Tech spotlight II – widespread non-compliance, opt-out challenges, and shadow AI (Masters of Privacy, May 2025)

It is time for a seasonal update at the intersection of Marketing, Data, Privacy and Technology. We are today covering the first four of our usual five blocks: ePrivacy & regulatory updates; MarTech & AdTech; AI, Competition and Digital Markets; PETs and Zero-Party Data. 

All references and links can be found in this episode’s blog post: Masters of Privacy.

Allow us to thank two people in advance for their routine work in breaking down the news across some of the topics and jurisdictions covered here: Robert Bateman and his Privacy Corner and Federico Marengo with his Privacy and AI newsletter.

Also, an important disclaimer: the voice that joins me today is a text-to-speech output generated with Eleven Labs.

What do we refer to with “privacy metrics”? Are privacy professionals delusional regarding the impact of the discipline in the overall business context?

Lauren Reid is founder of The Privacy Pro, a boutique firm that provides essential training, tools, and support for privacy professionals to turn knowledge into action. In addition to leading The Privacy Pro, Lauren works with executives, boards, and product teams to build privacy data governance strategies that support responsible innovation and prepare companies for investor and regulatory scrutiny. She has a 20-year track record in this space.

References:

• Lauren Reid on LinkedIn
• The Privacy Pro
• Lauren Reid: Rethinking Privacy Metrics: Aligning with Business Strategy

Can telco-powered identifiers overcome their own privacy challenges in their attempt to replace third-party cookies or email-based alternatives?

Pascale is the Data Protection Officer at Utiq, a European based AdTech company. She has been working in privacy and data protection ever since completing her degree in Law, including roles at fashion group Arcadia and Vodafone Group. Pascale’s main goal is always to put privacy at the heart of the business.

Utiq’s mission is to enable more responsible digital marketing by offering a telco powered privacy-first technology to Brands, Publishers and Tech Vendors operating in the adtech ecosystem. The Utiq technology consists of online identifiers which can be used to support and optimize digital marketing, advertising and analytics activities, whilst offering individuals enhanced choice, control and transparency, including via the application of privacy-centric controls and a dedicated privacy portal for end users, known as consenthub.

Launched in 2023, Utiq was originally backed by Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange SA, Telefónica S.A., and Vodafone Group plc. It has continued to gain support from numerous other leading telecom operators across Germany, France, Spain, Austria and soon expanding to the UK and Italy.

References:

• Pascale Arguinarena on LinkedIn
• FCC fines Verizon $1.35 million over ‘supercookie’ tracking (The Verge, May 2016)
• Utiq’s consenthub

Are Product Counsels in the best position to anticipate and solve privacy and AI compliance problems before we release new products to the public at large - all of it while avoiding costly delays in fast-moving projects?

Linsey Krolik is Assistant Clinical Professor at Santa Clara University School of Law, where she runs the Privacy Law Certificate and teaches Privacy Law. She is Director of the Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic, where students work with real startups on transactional law projects, and Director of the TechEdge JD, a skills based certificate program for students interested in working in technology law. She also teaches a class called Law and Technology of Silicon Valley, with students playing the role of product or privacy counsel for a day. 

Prior to joining academia, Linsey held senior in-house roles as a product, privacy, and commercial lawyer at global companies including PayPal, ARM, and Palm. Also, she continues to consult on privacy and AI governance in her solo law practice.

References:

• Linsey Krolik on LinkedIn
• Santa Clara University School of Law
• TechEdge JD
• Entrepreneurs' Law Clinic
• Privacy Law Certificate
• Navigating AI and Data Ethics: The Essential Role of Product Lawyers and the Product Counsel Framework (Linsey Krolik, Adrienne Go, Olga Mack)
• Gam Dias: Agents Unleashed, understanding the Agentic AI stack (Masters of Privacy)

Is it possible that a whole generation of consent-management solutions built for the EU-driven opt-in world are unsuitable for the opt-out scenario predominant in the US? How are DPOs and AI Governance professionals to deal with “shadow AI” and “shadow IT”? 

Daniel Barber is DataGrail’s CEO and co-founder. Prior to DataGrail Daniel led revenue teams at DocuSign, Datanyze (acquired by ZoomInfo), ToutApp (acquired by Marketo) and Responsys (acquired by Oracle). He also advises several high-growth startups.

References:

• Daniel Barber on LinkedIn
• Unveiling DataGrail’s 2024 Data Privacy Trends Report: The Time Data Subject Requests Surged 246% in Two Years
• DataGrail Privacy Inspector (Chrome Web Store)
• Max Anderson (Ketch): Privacy Tech spotlight I – the future of CMPs, value vs. hype in privacy compliance SaaS (Masters of Privacy, April 2025)

Georgia Voudoulaki is Senior Legal Counsel at Bosch, certified Compliance Officer, and adjunct professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Ludwigsburg and the Cooperative State University of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. In addition to her legal and academic roles, Georgia regularly publishes articles in leading legal journals and magazines, contributing valuable insights to the evolving conversation around compliance, digital innovation, and responsible AI. 

References:

• Georgia Voudoulaki on LinkedIn
• University of Applied Sciences Ludwigsburg
• Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW)

Gam Dias is a seasoned technologist and entrepreneur with a rich background in software engineering, AI, and product innovation. As a consultant, he has helped write the data strategy for Fortune Global 500 companies, innovative startups, and ambitious non-profits. He has a degree in Computer Science from the University of Liverpool and an MBA from Warwick Business School. Gam has lived in London, Leeds, Salt Lake City, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and he currently lives in and works from Madrid, Spain.

Gam’s latest work, Agents Unleashed, distills years of experience into a compelling look at the rise of autonomous AI agents and their growing role in marketing, sales, and beyond. 

References:

• Gam Dias on LinkedIn
• Agents Unleashed (Amazon)
• Agentforce (Salesforce)
• Gam Dias: on privacy, agency, convenience, and freedom (Masters of Privacy, 2021) 
• Hubbl Process Analytics
• Diana Stern and Dazza Greenwood, From Fine Print to Machine Code: How AI Agents are Rewriting the Rules of Engagement (Stanford Law School)

What is the practical case for combining CMPs and DSAR automation under a single technical solution or software provider? What do DPOs and CPOs struggle the most with when implementing effective privacy programs? Which Privacy Tech features are overvalued or undervalued?

Max Anderson is a seasoned product executive with a proven track record of bringing successful technology products to market in the consumer privacy, data management, and marketing space.

Prior to Ketch, Max was the Director of Product Management at Krux. After joining Salesforce as part of the Krux acquisition, he ran data privacy and consumer identity products at Salesforce, including the rollout of their industry-leading GDPR solution set. Prior to Krux, Max was a Product Manager at IPG Mediabrands, where he was responsible for multiple successful advertising measurement products. Max holds a BS in Chinese Literature from the University of Colorado.

References:

• Maxwell Anderson on LinkedIn
• Max Anderson, The liability in your privacy program: incomplete opt-out compliance (Ketch)
• GPC: Global Privacy Control
• Max Anderson, Dirty Data, Broken AI—The hidden threat derailing your competitive edge (Ketch)
• Andy Dale: DPO vs. CPO, present and future value of Privacy Tech, and the new US administration’s impact on the regulatory landscape (Masters of Privacy)
• Monica Meiterman-Rodriguez: automation, data minimization and comparative law in DSRs (Masters of Privacy)
• Sergio Maldonado, Some takeaways from PEPR’24 (USENIX Conference on Privacy Engineering Practice and Respect 2024)

Today we are taking a look at the difference between DPO and CPO roles in the US, the present and future impact of Privacy Tech in the management of privacy programs, the evolution of privacy regulation under the new US administration, and a potential Schrems III scenario. 

Andy Dale serves as General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at OpenAP and holds the position of Executive Board Member at The L Suite (TechGC). With extensive experience as an advisor to various companies, Andy previously worked as General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at Alyce, a company acquired by Sendoso in 2024, and as General Counsel and VP of Global Data Privacy at SessionM, which was acquired by Mastercard in 2019. Andy Dale earned a JD in Law from the University of Baltimore School of Law (2003-2006) and a degree from Colgate University (1996-2000).

References: 

• Andy Dale on LinkedIn
• The Data Protection Breakfast Club podcast on Spotify
• Brian Focht: Can the American Privacy Rights Act find a path to survival? (Masters of Privacy)
• Amy Worley on the American Privacy Rights Act (Masters of Privacy)
• Molly Martinson on state-level comprehensive privacy laws (Masters of Privacy)