Major privacy conference cancelled due to Brussels alert

A major privacy conference due to be held in central Brussels next week has been cancelled due to the ongoing security alert.

The annual European data protection congress organised by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) was expected to attract up to 1,000 people from all over the world for four days of training, seminars and talks.

Austrian student and privacy campaigner Max Schrems, who recently won a landmark case involving his complaints against Facebook and the Data Protection Commissioner's refusal to investigate them, was listed as a key speaker.

Mr Schrems's case before the Court of Justice of the European Union resulted in the striking down of the so-called Safe Harbour regime. Under that agreement, companies could transfer the personal data of Europeancitizens to the US, guaranteeing it a similar level of protection to that given in the EU.

Safe Harbour and a possible successor were among the topics for discussion at the event next week.

In a statement late on Monday, the IAPP said: “Based on the available information that we’ve been able to gather—including conversations with Brussels security operations, the venue, delegates, sponsors and our members in the city—we have made the decision that next week’s IAPP Europe Data Protection Congress is cancelled.”

It said it would be working out a plan for providing refunds to those who had planned to attend and thanked them for their patience “ as we work through the multiple variables we are facing”.