PrivacyPod is a podcast about privacy, technology and cookies, GDPR and beyond. Surprisingly unprofessional, seventh-best privacy podcast out there. Come for the privacy news and expert interviews, stay for the memes. Weekly episodes, subscribe on your podcast app to PrivacyPod for episodes in English, TietosuojaPod for episodes in Finnish.
Regular cast: ⭐ Hannes Saarinen, ⭐ Jyri Poutala ⭐ Heikki Tolvanen, ⭐ Laura Tarhonen, ⭐ Panu Pökkylä, ⭐ Pilvi Alopaeus.
Under We also cover the latest privacy news and provide somewhat expert commentary on it.
The show is suitable for all people interested in privacy, regardless of level of expertise. We do our best to talk "human" instead of lawyerisms.
#79: Stay Frosty – The Massive City of Helsinki Data Breach
In this episode, our experts Hannes Saarinen and Pilvi Alopaeus take a closer look at one of the largest data breaches in Finland, where an attacker gained access to the City of Helsinki's network drive—compromising the personal data of around 300,000 people living in or, for example, attending school in Helsinki.
To help us unpack the case and the newly published investigation report, we're joined by Mikael Hitruhin, Data Protection Lawyer at the City of Helsinki, who has been part of the city's investigative team.
What went wrong? How could this have happened—and what does it have to do with Swiss cheese? We dive into both the technical and legal aspects, as well as Mikael's experiences and lessons learned from working through such a significant and devastating attack.
We'll also explore the upcoming change in Finnish law that would empower the Data Protection Ombudsman to issue fines to the public sector. Will the threat of fines raise the level of data protection in public organisations—and how might it affect public trust and the sense of justice?
LINKS:
The report:
https://www.turvallisuustutkinta.fi/material/sites/otkes/otkes/mvyzc49g6/P2024_Helsinki_Investigation_report.pdf
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Instagram: @privacypod
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10 Sept 2025
#78: Jyri is still annoyed at (or with?) Noyb
We are back from summer break with a bunch of positive energy (that lasted through about the first two cases). This episode was recorded by Hannes, Jyri, and Pilvi on the historical day of data transfer anticlimax, despite all the LinkedIn posts preparing to sell you more legal advice. So, in this episode, we cover:
The Latombe I that was not meant to be (insert violins and a slow dramatic tear). The court said nothing to see here, move on. Nevertheless, we have opinions.
Austria’s Data Protection Authority took five and a half years to order YouTube to give people access to their personal data. Like good art, this stirred up some strong feelings in our hosts.
Google was not ordered to sell off Chrome and/or Android, but they were ordered to make the playing field a bit more open.
TikTok faces new investigations into their data transfers to China. Listen as our hosts jump into this rabbit hole and end up wondering: who is the true James Bond villain… and could it be… the EU?
Are we the baddies? Is the EU becoming authoritarian if it passes a law that will allow it to scan all private and even encrypted messages? More countries are objecting to this. What is at stake here — our European way of life?
Prepare for a rollercoaster of emotions, grab some popcorn, and hopefully, enjoy!
Latombe:
https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2025-09/cp250106en.pdf
NOYB vs. YouTube
https://www.euractiv.com/section/tech/news/austrias-privacy-watchdog-tells-youtube-to-give-users-access-to-their-data/
https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-win-youtube-ordered-honour-users-right-access
Google and antitrust:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg50dlj9gm4t
China, James Bond, and TikTok:
https://cybernews.com/security/tiktok-irish-investigation-eu-data-reached-china/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
EU…the baddie? About screening your messages:
https://www.techradar.com/computing/cyber-security/chat-control-the-list-of-countries-opposing-the-law-grows-but-support-remains-strong?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Did you enjoy our show? Support us by buying us a coffee here: https://bmc.link/privacypod4u
We would love to get feedback – so please tag us, follow us, DM us, or send us traditional email:
Instagram: @privacypod
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Email: tietosuojapod@protonmail.com
8 Sept 2025
#77: PrivacyPod special: Breaking Down the Latombe decision
This PrivacyPod special episode was recorded on the very day the Latombe decision (T-553/23) was made, capturing the immediacy and raw analysis of a pivotal moment in EU–US data privacy law. Host Joost Gerritsen, together Prof. Dr. Gloria González Fuster (VUB, LSTS Director) and Pablo Trigo Kramcsák (PhD researcher, LSTS) delves into the EU General Court’s ruling and its implications for the EU–US Data Privacy Framework. With the judgment only hours old, the discussion is lively and unfiltered, blending critical legal insight with candid questions from the privacy community.
Gloria and Pablo examine the court’s highly formalistic approach, questioning whether the decision provides real legal certainty or simply upholds the status quo on paper. They discuss the ruling’s weaknesses, including unresolved issues of admissibility and standing, and debate whether the judgment genuinely protects fundamental rights or merely recirculates official arguments without genuine scrutiny. The conversation also covers hot topics like Article 22 GDPR, the functioning of US oversight mechanisms, and the political climate that influences data transfers between Europe and the US.
Throughout the episode, the panel answers audience queries, reflecting the pulse of the privacy profession as it digests the breaking news. These real-time reactions make this episode a unique snapshot of expert opinion as legal history is being written, offering essential listening for privacy professionals, legal scholars, and anyone following the saga of cross-border data flows.
If you would like to learn how this case relates to previous rulings and documents from supervisory authorities, please visit Digibeetle: https://digibeetle.eu/latombe
Press release on the Latombe case:
https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2025-09/cp250106en.pdf
Did you enjoy our show? Support us by buying us a coffee here: https://bmc.link/privacypod4u
We would love to get feedback – so please tag us, follow us, DM us, or send us traditional email:
Instagram: @privacypod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tietosuojapod/about/
Email: tietosuojapod@protonmail.com
Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100
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