VdA organised a workshop in e-Privacy in conjunction with APDC, during which a variety of topics were debated, amongst which were the new challenges facing telecoms operators concerning the protection of privacy, the proposals to change the EU’s directive on e-Privacy and the questions being asked of the telecoms operators regarding the implementation of the 'new law for the retention of data' (which obliges telecoms operators to keep a massive archive of data traffic)
The session was opened by Diogo Vasconcelos, APDC president, who underlined the importance of privacy matters for the IT sector.

There followed a presentation entitled 'New Challenges in e-Privacy matters' by VdA partner Magda Cocco. The increasing use of information technology by minors, the surge in internet-based advertising, the ever-increasing violation of authors’ rights in the digital environment, the threats to security, the strength of electronic means of communication and the recent scandals involving certain European telecoms providers, are just some of the factors, which are obliging telecoms operators to look with a degree of urgency at the question of privacy.

During the session, a debate took place, chaired by Magda Cocco and involving Luis Lignau de Silveira, the president of CNPD, Alberto Sousa Miranda, the vice-president of ICP-ANACOM, and the president of Apritel, Luís Reis, developing the theme of how much impact the new law concerning retention of data is having on telecoms operators. Particular attention was paid to the question of the implementation costs for managing data, which operators now have to hold onto for a period of one calendar year.

VdA partner Margarida Couto also made a presentation about best practices in E-Privacy and stated that telecoms operators ought to introduce mechanisms and define internal procedures that enable the possibility of foreseeing incidents of data breach, such as the nomination of a “data privacy officer” who can organise adequate data protection policy, amongst other things.

The workshop, which was held on December 17^th at the Portuguese institute of Communication, also included contributions from three speakers from Telecom Italia and from a specialist in solutions for “Security intelligence”.

Margarida Couto and Magda Cocco consider that this event was an important dialogue between operators and regulatory bodies and that it is bound to further contribute to the formalising of attitudes towards privacy questions and data protection in the telecoms sector.