
Serious Privacy
For those who are interested in the hottest field in a technology world. Whether you are a professional who wants to learn more about privacy, data protection, or cyber law or someone who just finds this fascinating, we have topics for you from data management to cybersecurity to social justice and data ethics and AI. In-depth information on serious privacy topics. This podcast, hosted by Dr. K Royal, Paul Breitbarth and Ralph O'Brien, features open, unscripted discussions with global privacy professionals (those kitchen table or back porch conversations) where you hear the opinions and thoughts of those who are on the front lines working on the newest issues in handling personal data. Real information on your schedule - because the world needs serious privacy.Follow us on BlueSky (@seriousprivacy.eu) or LinkedIn
Latest episodes

Jul 16, 2025 • 33min
Personal Integrity, Regulatory capture & a week in Privacy
Send us a textWith Paul away, Join K and Ralph on a riotous discussion of personal integrity and what positions we can work with and for - with regulators and industry cross pollinating individuals and resources. Can regulators remain ethical and independent, when we rely on skills and abilities for industry?Also, a week of news in Privacy and Data Protection with a round up of EU, UK, US and beyond news, cases, regulations and standards - including age verification, censorship, EU AI Act, privacy preserving advertising, freedom of speech laws and new developments across the globe! If you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Jul 11, 2025 • 36min
250 episodes?! Let's celebrate!
Send us a textPlease join us for our 250th episode, celebrating 5 and a half years of privacy, data protection, cyber law education and hot topics with hosts Paul Breitbarth, Ralph O'Brien, and Dr. K Royal. If you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Jul 2, 2025 • 36min
Vermont for Kids! and lots of other cool privacy things
Send us a textOn this episode of Serious Privacy, Paul Breitbarth and Dr. K Royal connect with the Honorable Monique Priestley, Vermont Representative (website https://moniqueforvermont.com/). The topic - the Age Appropriate Design Code Act (VAADCA) just passed! If you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Jun 26, 2025 • 40min
Almost too much to Handle - Week in privacy
Send us a textOn this week of Serious Privacy, Paul Breitbarth, Ralph O’Brien of Reinbo Consulting, and Dr. K Royal connect on a week in privacy - almost too much to cover, so it’s a little long. Mainly we talk about the UK Data Use and Access Bill, the third extension of TikTok’s required sale, Meta deploying ads to Whatsapp, and noyb suing two data protection authorities over delayed investigation and enforcement. Lastly, big shoutout to Alexander White in his new appointment as Queensland’s new privacy commissioner. If you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Jun 18, 2025 • 33min
Data Makes the World Go Round (with Noël Luke)
Send us a textIt's been a while since we last talked about cross-border data transfers, but that does not mean that all issues have resolved themselves. And while the focus may still largely be on the EU-US relations for data transfers, the core developments actually relate to the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules. Therefore, on this week of Serious Privacy, Paul Breitbarth, Ralph O’Brien of Reinbo Consulting, and Dr. K Royal connect with Noël Luke, chief assurance officer at TrustArc. She joined TrustArc in 2015 and is responsible for overseeing and enhancing TrustArc’s robust assurance programs, which include certifications under the Global and APEC cross-border privacy rules, as well as verifications under the respective Data Privacy Frameworks between the US and the EU, UK and Switzerland. If you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Jun 13, 2025 • 31min
A doozy of a week in Privacy
Send us a textOn this week of Serious Privacy, Paul Breitbarth is away so Ralph O’Brien of Reinbo Consulting, and Dr. K Royal bring you a full docket of privacy news. And it is a doozy of a week! Powered by TrustArc Powered by TrustArcIf you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Jun 5, 2025 • 37min
A strong week in Privacy
Send us a textOn this week of #SeriousPrivacy, Paul Breitbarth, Dr. K Royal, and Ralph O'Brien catch up on recent activity in the world of purveyors, data protection, and cyber law. Powered by TrustArc Powered by TrustArcIf you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

May 31, 2025 • 28min
The State of Digital (with Akhi Srivastava)
Send us a textOn this week of Serious Privavy, Paul, Ralph, and Dr. K catch up with Akhi Srivastava, an experienced tech leader to discuss strategy and state of the digital world (as himself and not as any of the company's he's worked for then it now).Powered by TrustArc Powered by TrustArcIf you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

May 22, 2025 • 33min
Retro Week in Privacy - So much to Cover!
Send us a textOn this week of Serious Privacy, Paul Breitbarth, and Dr. K Royal (Ralph O’Brien was traveling), we cover a wild wrap up of privacy activities, including Tom Kemp as the newly appointed head of the California Consumer Privacy Protection Agency, and a wide sweep of enforcement actions including Roku, Honda Motor Company, National Public Data, Tom Snyder, plus class actions against Insomnia and Pill Pack, and a reprimand sent to Deep Seek, IAPP’s state privacy law tracker update, California is seeking public feedback on proposed regulations for the delete request and opt-out platform - the DROP system, CNIL’s guidance on monitoring self-checkouts, and Meta’s request for a court to invalidate the EDPB guidance (can’t do it, it’s not a law) and Belgium’s new law plus quite a bit more. We are packed with news.Please subscribe in your favorite podcast app - sharing is caring! Powered by TrustArc Powered by TrustArcIf you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

May 14, 2025 • 37min
Indescribably Intuitive: Indigenous Privacy
Send us a textOn this episode of @SeriousPrivacy, hosts Paul Breitbarth and Dr. K Royal (Ralph wasn' able to join us in DC) catch up with Tahu Kukutai, Professor, The University of Waikato; Jade Makory, CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT, FIP, Legal and Advocacy Director, Data Analytics Kenya, and Privacy Expert, PwC (on Sabbatical); and Shana Morgan, AIGP, CIPP/E, CIPM, FIP, Global Head of AI / Privacy, L3Harris Technologies - just after the first IAPP panel on indigenous privacy at GPS25 (moderated by Shoshana Rosenberg). Fabulous and enlightening. Powered by TrustArc Powered by TrustArcIf you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.