Data Privacy : The European Union Invades Silicon Valley | GDPR

Session #6 takes a hard pan-Europe look at how European Union regulations are reaching deep into the operations of Silicon Valley companies and startups, including enterprise software architecure, data storage and management policies, product development, overseas market entry, management of intellectual property and business strategy. The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), due to enter into force on May 25 2018, is driving major legal and technical compliance programs at all Valley firms that work with personal data of EU citizens and residents; companies that violate GDPR rules can incur severe penalties of up to 4% of worldwide turnover.

Our speakers come from US and European corporates and startups that are currently undertaking comprehensive GDPR compliance efforts, or which are building new personal data and privacy management tool products for US and European enterprises. Two of our panelists have led GDPR compliance teams at major consumer and enterprise software firms (Uber, Apple, Adaptive Insights); SpeedInvest is an investor in Berlin-based GDPR compliance software startup Aircloak that is now entering the US market. The session will address how companies here are addressing the legal, technical and management challenges posed by GDPR; the benefits and costs of GDPR rules as perceived by Valley firms; and how European data privacy policies promote or hinder innovation.

SPEAKERS:

• Sabrina Ross - Legal Director of Privacy & Consumer Protection (2014-2017), Uber & Apple (USA)
• Leila Golchehreh - Senior Corporate Counsel, Privacy & Compliance, Adaptive Insights (USA)
• Marcel van der Heijden - Partner, SpeedInvest (Vienna & Silicon Valley)