[liberationtech] Amsterdam Privacy Conference 2012

[Yosem Companys]

The Amsterdam Privacy Conference 2012 (www.apc2012.org) will be held
from 7-10 October: a four-day privacy conference with
interdisciplinarity and social relevance as spearheads. Topical issues
to take centre stage include cloud computing, privacy by design,
cookies, the economic value of personal data, social networks,
security and anti-terrorism measures, privacy and medical data,
consumers’ perceptions and appraisal of privacy, privacy regulation
and the redefinition of privacy in a rapidly changing information
society.

Many international experts from diverse disciplines will be speaking
at the conference: Alessandro Acquisti, renowned for his research into
the psychology behind and consumers’ attitudes regarding their
privacy; Ross Anderson, IT specialist in security systems, including
those of medical record systems and smart meters; Jacob Applebaum, an
internationally acclaimed hacker who was involved in Wikileaks; Peter
Hustinx, chairman of the European Data Protection Supervisor; Sandra
Petronio, the originator of Communication Privacy Management theory;
and Priscilla Regan, author of the book, ‘Legislating Privacy:
Technology, Social Values and Public Policy’.

In addition, the conference is hosting over 30 specialist panels and
sessions that are sub- divided into six themes: Economics of Privacy,
Privacy and Security, Privacy in the Information Society, Privacy and
Technology, the Value and Principles of Privacy and Privacy and
Healthcare. There will also be sessions on the position of civil
rights organisations in the privacy discourse, presentations of
empirical research on consumers’ behaviour with regard to their
personal data and a practical session: bring your own device and learn
how to hack. More than 150 academics with a large variety of
backgrounds will actively contribute to the conference by means of
presentations, panels and debates.

The opening day of the conference on Sunday 7 October features a
public lecture that also falls within the theme of the UvA’s 380th
anniversary year. The day will be opened by Dymph van den Boom, Rector
Magnificus of the UvA, and Lodewijk Asscher, Deputy Mayor of
Amsterdam. Helen Nissenbaum, who recently published the bestseller,
‘Privacy in Context’, will give the public lecture, which examines the
role of privacy in modern society. Following this, a panel composed of
Jacob Kohnstamm, chairman of the Dutch Data Protection Authority and
the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, Simon Davies, founder of
the civil rights organisation Privacy International, and Alma Whitten,
Google's Director of Privacy, will respond to the lecture and will
debate with each other and the audience. The lecture will be given in
the University Auditorium.

The programme of the remaining days will be held in the monumental
Felix Meritis building and the university library, both situated in
the centre of Amsterdam.

Conference registration at: www.apc2012.org (students & PhD students:
€ 125; academics, civil servants & NGOs: € 225; lawyers, notaries &
private sector: € 550).