In this blog, first published in Business Brief in December 2024, ODPA Head of Communications Katherine Levy discusses how a clear strategic vision based on balance, trust and partnership have helped ensure a progressive transition as the Data Protection Authority navigates a new era.
On my desk is a sticky note where I’ve scribbled some words of wisdom shared with me by one of my lovely colleagues, ‘moving slowly forwards’. It struck a chord with me, and I stuck it on my screen where it reminds me to take a breath and focus on achieving one thing at a time. If you are able to do that, before long you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come.
2024 has been a year of transformation for the ODPA. Having bid farewell to Emma Martins, we welcomed our new Commissioner, Brent Homan, who sailed across the Atlantic from Canada fizzing with enthusiasm, energy and plans to advance the authority’s work and outreach activities.
From the outset, he has stressed his commitment to a seamless transition, building on the successful foundations laid by Emma while working towards his ambition for the ODPA to become a model for the global data protection community through the strategic pillars of balance, trust and partnership.
These foundations were formally recognised mid-January when Guernsey received a positive adequacy decision from the European Commission (EC) following a four-year review. This allows EU organisations to easily transfer data to and from the Bailiwick, which is vital for international businesses based here. In short, the EC decision confirms that the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a leading jurisdiction for safe and secure data.
Maintaining adequacy is an ongoing responsibility and with a new captain at the helm, the office’s core activities remain focused on how the ODPA can best serve and protect the regulated community while maximising limited resources.
Our social initiative Project Bijou, which aims to encourage ethical data use through shared experiences and storytelling, has expanded this year to encompass all our outreach activities from data protection workshops to podcasts and thought-leadership pieces.
Project Bijou Seeds, our schools outreach programme to educate and empower children and young people, has continued to go from strength to strength. Bespoke, age-appropriate sessions teaching students how to look after their personal information in an increasingly digital age, have been delivered to hundreds of children across the island.
Engaging with the public to improve compliance and information safety one conversation at a time is a privilege afforded to small jurisdictions like ours. We believe it can make a significant impact and we hold regular drop-ins at our offices for people to pop in to discuss problems or concerns with our experienced investigators. These investigators are also holding a series of breach preparedness workshops where they share tips and tales from the “breach vault” with public and private sector organisations.
We continue to forge meaningful partnerships with government, the third sector, finance industry, online safety campaigners and local schools to promote compliance and ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community understand and can exercise their rights.
Communicating with the public is a key part of what we do. Earlier this year we launched a series of ‘Bailiwick Data Protection Advisories’ to raise awareness about active threats to people’s information, for example if there is a spike in phishing attacks or specific intelligence about harmful groups or trends on social media.
But when conversations fail, the ODPA has its enforcement powers to correct and steer organisations towards putting their clients or customers first and building-in robust information-handling practices.
A host of sanctions are available when serious failings come to light, enabling the ODPA to order organisations to fix deficiencies and demonstrate accountability.
International partnerships are another area where the ODPA has seen significant growth. Partnership holds particular promise for an authority of our size, allowing us to expand our capacity to take action and amplify the impacts of those actions. Our staff have worked alongside data protection and consumer authorities from around the world, playing an active role in helping to curb unauthorised data-scraping - the automized collection of people’s information by social media companies.
Through a global privacy sweep we have also engaged with the Bailiwick’s gambling sector to identify and resolve harmful privacy practices.
Phew! In all, there has been much to celebrate this year for the ODPA as an organisation, thanks to the collective efforts of our team under the leadership of Commissioner Homan and Deputy Commissioner Rachel Masterton, working together to best serve our community. I’m sure the best is still yet to come however, so look out 2025!
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Indulge