Samer Diya, Forcepoint’s Vice President for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, underscores the importance of unified data security, privacy-by-design, and proactive compliance teams in navigating fragmented regulations and fostering AI innovation through regulatory collaboration.
How should organisations prepare for the complexities introduced by the emerging multilateral world order in privacy regulation?
In addition to regular and proactive monitoring of the regulatory landscape, organisations should implement scalable, data security solutions that allow flexibility in managing regional and global privacy regulations. Unlike legacy data security solutions, enforcing a unified approach can eliminate the need for multiple tools and complex policy administration.
What strategies can businesses adopt to navigate conflicting regulations across geopolitical clusters effectively?
Leveraging a unified approach for data security is key. Offering a single place to manage data security policies for global compliance and proactive breach prevention across all channels can work alongside businesses to manage diverse requirements across regions. Additionally, establishing local compliance teams can ensure up-to-date knowledge of jurisdiction-specific regulations.
How can organisations balance AI’s need for vast data with increasingly fragmented and conflicting privacy regulations?
Organisations must implement privacy-by-design practices, ensuring data collection aligns with regional laws. Leveraging proactive data security capabilities, using encryption, anonymisation, and regular audits can help manage privacy risks. Staying flexible and reviewing data management strategies regularly is crucial for compliance.
What operational strategies would you recommend handling scenarios where individuals revoke AI permissions for data use?
With new AI-driven capabilities being introduced near daily, corporations should have clear systems in place for individuals to manage their data permissions easily. Data should be promptly deleted or anonymised if consent is revoked. Ensuring transparency and maintaining user trust is vital for compliance.
You emphasise the importance of being a “good custodian” of data. What practical steps can businesses take to achieve this amidst regulatory complexity?
People have a right to control their personal information. Organisations should implement data minimisation, access controls, and regular audits to protect personal data. Adopting data security and privacy-by-design practices ensures data protection is built into the system. Training staff on compliance, governance and best practices is essential for maintaining security.
What technologies or frameworks can help organisations efficiently scale their data security and privacy practices across jurisdictions?
Robust data security capabilities can help businesses effectively scale by eliminating friction across platforms. Alongside championing a culture of compliance, these technologies enable real-time monitoring and adjustment to regulatory changes to prioritize innovation in-line with data security.
How can regulators and businesses strike a balance between ensuring privacy compliance and fostering innovation, especially in AI-driven industries?
I think the key here is collaboration. Regulators should create flexible frameworks that allow AI innovation while safeguarding privacy. Businesses must integrate privacy-by-design principles into AI models from the start. Collaboration between regulators and businesses will ensure compliance and innovation can coexist.
What specific challenges or conflicts do you anticipate businesses will face in privacy and AI regulation by 2025, and how can they proactively prepare?
In 2025, businesses will face the challenge of navigating fragmented privacy regulations and balancing AI’s data needs with privacy laws. Proactively adopting scalable compliance solutions and AI-driven tools will help manage this complexity. Regular reviews of data governance practices and staff training will be crucial.