This is the third and final instalment in the ODPA’s podcast series, Data, Democracy and Freedom. The series examines:

• How people’s information can be weaponized to undermine elections and democracy

• How to preserve civil liberties and strike the right balance between national security/program delivery and upholding privacy rights

• How technology may be influencing our freedom of thought and expression

In this podcast, ODPA Commissioner Brent Homan talks to human rights lawyer and author Susie Alegre. They explore tech-driven threats to our mental freedom - how algorithms feed off our personal data and filter content which end up shaping our everyday thoughts and choices from what we eat to how we vote.

Susie Alegre is a legal pioneer in digital human rights, in particular the impact of AI on the human rights of freedom of thought and opinion.

She founded the Isle of Man’s Island Rights Initiative, has an MA Hons in French and Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh, a Masters in European and International Human Rights Law from the University of Nantes and a PhD in International Human Rights Law from the University of Roehampton.

Susie is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI) and is fluent in French and Spanish. Susie has worked with many NGOs including Amnesty International and international organisations including the UN, the EU and the Council of Europe.

Her first book ‘Freedom to Think’ won Financial Times Technology Book of the Year 2022 and was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Christopher Bland Prize 2023. She has recently published a second book ‘Human Rights, Robot Wrongs: Being Human in the Age of AI’.

Travis LeBlanc is a leading US Civil Rights lawyer, former Chief of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Enforcement Bureau under President Obama and current member of the US government’s Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board member (PCLOB).

In this podcast, he talks to Bailiwick of Guernsey Data Protection Commissioner Brent Homan about his re-appointment to PCLOB, the greatest challenges to preserving civil liberties and striking the right balance between national security and upholding privacy rights.

This is the second in the ODPA’s podcast series, Data, Democracy and Freedom.

The series examines:

• how people’s information can be weaponized to undermine elections and democracy.

• How to preserve civil liberties and strike the right balance between national security/program delivery and upholding privacy rights.

• how technology may be influencing our freedom of thought and expression

This is the first in the ODPA’s new podcast series, Data, Democracy and Freedom. It examines:

• How people’s information can be weaponized to undermine elections and democracy.

• How to preserve civil liberties and strike the right balance between national security/program delivery and upholding privacy rights.

• How technology may be influencing our freedom of thought and expression

In this first episode, Guernsey Data Protection Commissioner Brent Homan sits down with privacy and civil liberties advocate Dr Colin Bennett to discuss Privacy and Politics, surveillance technologies, and whether artificial intelligence is a friend or foe for personal freedom.

Dr Bennett is Professor of Political Science at the University of Victoria, Canada, Professor Emeritus at UVIC as well as an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Global Studies, and writer of many books and articles including: ‘Transparent Lives: Surveillance in Canada’; ‘Security Games: Surveillance and Control at Mega-Events’; and ‘The Governance of Privacy: Policy Instruments in Global Perspective’.

Revealing more of a personal side to Bailiwick of Guernsey Data Protection Commissioner Brent Homan as he talks to Radio Guernsey presenter Jim Delbridge on his weekly show, sharing stories of his youth and how he is finding life on the Island - all framed by a Canadian soundtrack of Rush, the Tragically Hip and the Spoons!

From Texas, snowballs and the world's longest skating rink to island cliff hikes and scraped up cars - a fun chat definitely worth a listen!!

In the ODPA’'s 2025 Project Bijou lecture, Guernsey Data Protection Commissioner Brent Homan sits down with Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind to discuss her vision as a new Commissioner for Australia, children’s rights, how to make social media safer without turning young people into outlaws and the mass adoption of AI.

⭐ What is the Bijou Lecture series?

The ODPA launched its annual Bijou Lecture in 2022, as part of its outreach arm ‘Project Bijou’ which aims to encourage the sharing of stories, knowledge and experiences related to ethical data use, in a way that benefits everyone.

You can access all lectures at: www.odpa.gg/project-bijou/the-bijou-lecture

Guernsey politician, PR expert, businessman, musician, writer and keen runner Steve Falla is perpetually in motion.

As vice-president of the Economic Development Committee (at the time of recording, Feb 2024) he’s better placed than most to understand the financial challenges facing both government and Guernsey residents amid soaring living costs and increased demands on infrastructure.

In this Project Bijou podcast, Deputy Falla sits down for a discussion with Bailiwick Data Protection Commissioner Brent Homan to discuss his call for ‘boldness’, the impact digital connectivity has had on data privacy, and the critical importance of elevated data protection practices to support a vibrant and globally competitive financial services sector.

Project Bijou is the Office of the Data Protection Authority’s social initiative, which aims to harness the power of shared experiences and stories to promote ethical data use and engage people on a cultural level.

Storytelling is one of the most effective ways of sharing knowledge and can be a powerful tool to inspire change. Project Bijou is the Office of the Data Protection Authority’s social initiative, which aims to harness the power of shared experiences and stories to promote ethical data use and engage people on a cultural level.

In this Project Bijou podcast, Guernsey Data Protection Commissioner Brent Homan sits down with his counterpart, Jersey’s Information Commissioner Paul Vane, to discuss the shared opportunities and challenges of overseeing data protection and privacy legislation within smaller jurisdictions which are also global financial centres.

They talk about how regulatory co-operation can help overcome technological challenges, promote compliance and amplify their ability to protect privacy rights in the Channel Islands.

Alun Williams is the Be Active Education Lead at Guernsey’s Health Improvement Commission, a charity dedicated to empowering, enabling and encouraging healthy living in Guernsey and Alderney.

In this Project Bijou guest podcast, Alun discusses working with the ODPA on a fitness tracker aimed at getting Bailiwick children moving and his long, distinguished career serving the Bailiwick.

For this year's Bijou Lecture join Dr Vicki Nash for an exploration of online safety issues for children.

In this year’s lecture she shares her insights with the ODPA’s Data Protection Commissioner Brent Homan.

They start off by discussing how keeping children safe in the digital era means striking a delicate balance between our parental urge to protect them and the importance of empowering them.

They move on to explore the need for parents and children to openly share their experiences and knowledge with each other, and how education leaders play a critical role in empowering young people to be safer online.

Moving to the role of regulation, they explore the implications of the Online Safety Act which was passed into UK law in October 2023.

Finally, they take an imaginary trip to the year 2054, to imagine how today’s children will look back, as adults, on the actions (and inactions) of today’s tech giants, parents, and policymakers.

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⭐ What is the Bijou Lecture series?

The ODPA launched its annual Bijou Lecture in 2022, as part of its outreach arm ‘Project Bijou’ which aims to encourage the sharing of stories, knowledge and experiences related to ethical data use, in a way that benefits everyone.

You can access all lectures at: www.odpa.gg/project-bijou/the-bijou-lecture

* WARNING: This podcast includes references to rape and sexual assault and the murder of Brianna Ghey. Details of support / advice are available here if you are affected by this: https://www.odpa.gg/help-and-advice/mental-health-support/*

As most parents or carers will tell you, screen time is an ongoing battle. How much is too much? What are they looking at? Will they miss out on opportunities or friendships if you don't let young people have a smartphone?

As the Bailiwick of Guernsey’s first ever digital safety development officer, Laura Simpson has at least some of the answers. She is passionate about educating and empowering children and young people to make safer choices when navigating the online world.

Employed by Guernsey Police and based in the high-tech crime unit, Laura is only too familiar with the harms that can arise when people's personal information is shared inappropriately. Laura tells Katherine Levy about her role, how it intersects with personal data and what we can all do to help educate children and young people about digital literacy.