WU hosted the IG-Datenschutz

Data protection is constantly facing new challenges due to technological developments and legal requirements such as the AI Act. Around 60 data protection officers from across Austria gathered at the WU to discuss current developments and exchange views.

The modern campus in the heart of Vienna, on the edge of the green Prater park, provided a pleasant setting for the networking event. The Vice-Rector for Human Resources and Digital Infrastructure Univ.-Prof. Dr. Martin Winner warmly welcomed the participants to WU. A varied and engaging programme was put together.

Mag. Christoph Sandholzer from AKM e.Gen.m.b.H. provided a fascinating insight into the work of collecting societies with his presentation on ‘The data protection challenges of automated music recognition by collecting societies’. University assistants Matthias Berghuber, LL.M. (WU) and Leonhard Winkelbauer, LL.M. (WU) BSc. (WU) from the Institute for Information and Intellectual Property Law at WU (Homar/Winner) outlined the data protection and copyright framework governing the use of AI. Mag. Harald Hutter, LL.M., from the Institute for Advanced Studies Vienna (IHS) provided insights into ‘logging in the context of security’. The work and progress at WU on the “Security Operation Centre” sub-project of the Uni-ISS project were presented by WU project managers Angelina Malmendier BA and Fabian Vala. The director and founder of the WU Legal Tech Centre, Mag. Sophie Martinetz, sparked lively discussions and provided valuable food for thought during her talk entitled “Ready for AI – The Use of AI in Everyday Legal Practice”. University Assistants Mag. Hannah Oberlercher and Vanessa Pichler, LL.M. (WU), from the Institute for Austrian and European Public Law at WU (Holoubek), provided a good overview of the case law relating to higher education institutions one year after the Freedom of Information Act came into force in their presentation ‘Latest Developments on Freedom of Information’. The meeting concluded with a presentation of the Trend Radar, including an interactive ‘question walk’ on ‘Trends and Developments in Higher Education’, given by Mag. DI (FH) Maria Angerer and Mag. Anna-Maria Krulis BA, BA from the WU Innovation Office.

The programme was rounded off with an architectural tour of the campus, showcasing its architectural highlights, before a group dinner provided ample time for lively conversations and discussions.

A big thank you is due, above all, to the speakers and the core team of the IG-Datenschutz, who provided such fascinating input for the 17th IG-Datenschutz meeting!

The next meeting of the IG-Datenschutz is planned for spring 2027 at UMIT – Private University for Health Science and Health Technology in Hall in Tyrol.