Since the last Bitkom Privacy Conference, the landscape of data protection has continued to evolve. In 2025, key discussions revolve around the future of the GDPR: Does the GDPR need an update, and if so, what might this look like?
With the introduction of new digital regulatory acts such as the Data Act and AI Act, their relationship with the GDPR is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, cloud services and data protection remain pressing issues, with companies facing growing challenges in ensuring compliance.
International data transfers, especially to the USA and the UK, continue to be a focal point in the regulatory debate. Additionally, rapid advancements in artificial intelligence present new data protection challenges and opportunities, making AI and privacy two of the defining topics of the year.
Whether you're a large enterprise, an SME, or a start-up, compliance with data protection regulations is critical to maintaining trust and professional relationships with customers. With data privacy regulations and trends constantly shifting, staying informed is more important than ever.
On 10 & 11 September 2025, privacy experts from various data protection authorities, international companies, and innovative start-ups will gather at Bitkom’s Privacy Conference to discuss the latest trends in data protection, international data transfers, and regulatory cooperation in the digital economy.
The programme on 10 September will focus on German perspectives and will be conducted in German, while the 11 September session will address international topics and will be held in English.
With its 360° approach, #pco25 will explore all aspects of regulatory development, provide hands-on examples, discuss best practices in workshops, and offer a forum for the most influential privacy experts.
Didier Reynders
A father of four, Didier Reynders was born in Liège on 6th August 1958. In 1981, he obtained a degree in law at the University of Liège. Guest lecturer at the universities of Liège and Louvain, he has never really left the academic life until he became on 1th December 2019 European Commissioner for Justice.
After presiding the Belgian railways and the Belgian Airways Agency, he was elected Deputy Chairman of the PRL (Liberal party), before becoming a Member of Parliament in 1992.
On 12th July 1999, he became Minister of Finance (until 6th December 2011) and, on 18th July 2004, (concurrently) Deputy Prime Minister (until 30th November 2019).
He was Chairman of the Mouvement Réformateur (liberal party alliance) from 11th October 2004 until 14th February 2011.
He was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs from 6th December 2011 until 11th October 2014.
He became Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, in charge of Beliris and Federal Cultural Institutions on 11th October 2014 (until 30th November 2019).
He has also been Minister of Defense since 9 December 2018.
Since 1th December 2019 he is European Commissioner for Justice, in charge of Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
Dr Des Hogan
Dr Des Hogan was appointed as Commissioner for Data Protection and Chairperson of the Irish Data Protection Commission in February 2024. Prior to that he was Assistant Chief State Solicitor in the Office of the Chief State Solicitor in the period 2015-2024. He served as Acting Chief Executive in the Irish Human Rights Commission in 2007 and from 2012 to 2014. He previously worked for the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and for Amnesty International in Australia and its International Secretariat in London. A solicitor by profession, Dr Hogan was awarded a Masters in European Law from University College Dublin and a PhD in Philosophy of Law from Trinity College Dublin.
Prof Dr Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider
Prof Dr Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider has been Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information since September 2024. She previously held the Chair of Civil Law, Data Economy Law, Data Protection, Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. She studied law in Bremen, obtained her doctorate and habilitation in Freiburg and subsequently held professorships in Cologne and Passau. As Director, she heads both the Institute for Commercial and Economic Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science and the Centre for Medical Data Usability and Translation (ZMDT). She was also involved in the founding of the Data Institute under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Homeland (BMI).
Margo Steiner
Margo Steiner is VP Global Privacy Policy at adidas. Previously, she was Chief Data Privacy Officer at CompuGroup Medical (CGM), a leading e-health company, and responsible for customer data protection at Zalando. In 2010-2014, she headed the Department of Analysis and Public Communication at the Polish Ministry of Digitalisation and was an advisor on digital strategy in the office of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Margo studied law in Hanover, Madrid and Berlin, is admitted to the bar in Germany and holds a Master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. Main areas of specialisation: Global privacy, data regulation, AI regulation, legal framework for digital transformation.
Marco Kaiser
As CTO of ZEIT ONLINE, Marco Kaiser is running software development and operations for the online news portal www.zeit.de and other online products since 2013. He became a member of the executive board for ZEIT Online GmbH in 2019. He is also responsible for Producing, Technical Audience Management and Data Protection. Before, he worked at various international and national startups as Head of Product, Director of Engineering, and CTO.
Meike Kamp
Meike Kamp was elected as the new Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in October 2022. Between 2010 and 2019, the lawyer already worked at the authority in the field of data protection, media and freedom of information. From 2005 to 2010, she worked at the Independent Centre for Data Protection in Schleswig-Holstein. Before her election, Meike Kamp worked as a meeting representative in the Federal Council for the Bremen State Representation in Berlin.
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The use of data is present in every aspect of life. The introduction of new ideas on how data is processed has created numerous beneficial effects for businesses. Regulators observe these developments and implement new rules to establish a consistent and organized regulatory system. #pco25 highlights regulatory issues, examines their principles, and discusses how to align current and future regulatory efforts.
AI has made its way into nearly every business field. But how do you use new technologies to make the most of your data while maintaining privacy? #pco25 brings together diverse professionals to share experiences and ideas.
To improve user experience and enable the Internet of Things, businesses need to ensure interoperability between data rooms. At the same time, customers demand data privacy. Discover how to both deliver performance and protect confidentiality.
As new data flows across international borders and new agreements emerge, we'll take a closer look at what lies ahead. How can companies comply with data security standards? How can standardisation help them to both ensure lawful data flows and protect data privacy? #pco25 answers key questions and introduces the latest developments and solutions.
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