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Episode 274 – Liz MacPherson, Deputy Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner, New Zealand

In Episode 274 of The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast, Debbie Reynolds, The Data Diva, talks with Liz MacPherson, Deputy Privacy Commissioner at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand, about how privacy functions as a critical guardrail for innovation rather than a barrier to progress. The discussion focuses on New Zealand’s purpose and context-based privacy framework and why strong privacy foundations enable faster, safer, and more trustworthy data use across government and industry.

The conversation explores a landmark case involving the use of facial recognition technology in supermarkets, where regulators, businesses, and independent evaluators worked together to test effectiveness, necessity, and proportionality before deployment. Debbie and Liz unpack why biometric data demands heightened scrutiny, how privacy impact assessments and real-world trials can reduce risk, and why facial recognition is not a plug-and-play technology. They also discuss the importance of human oversight, data quality, access controls, transparency to the public, and the risks of bias and misidentification when systems are poorly governed.

Debbie and Liz also examine New Zealand’s Biometric Processing Privacy Code and its role in setting clear thresholds for biometric use, including limits on categorization and inference. The episode highlights why data retention is one of the most overlooked sources of organizational risk, how unnecessary data creates downstream harm, and why treating personal information as a treasure rather than an asset to be exploited builds long-term trust. Liz emphasizes that organizations succeed when they place people at the center of data decisions and design privacy as part of the full information lifecycle.

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In Episode 273 of The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast, Debbie Reynolds, The Data Diva, talks with Kohei Kurihara, CEO and Founder of Privacy by Design Lab, about the relationship between privacy, trust, and innovation across Japan and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Kohei shares how his background in startups, blockchain, and digital identity led him to focus on privacy as a foundational element of sustainable technology.

The discussion explores the distinction between security and privacy, including why technical safeguards alone cannot establish trust. Debbie and Kohei examine privacy by design as a proactive discipline, contrasting it with reactive compliance-driven approaches. They discuss why companies that embed privacy early can move faster, innovate responsibly, and build stronger relationships with users rather than slowing progress.

The episode also examines cultural perspectives on privacy in Japan and Asia, including how collective values, family structures, and trust-based relationships influence attitudes toward data sharing. Kohei emphasizes that privacy expectations are shaped by history and culture, and that global frameworks must account for these differences. The conversation reinforces that trust, not compliance alone, is what ultimately determines whether technology is accepted and sustained.

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Debbie Reynolds Consulting, LLC

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In Episode 272 of The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast, Debbie Reynolds, The Data Diva, talks with Sean Pauzauskie, Medical Director at the Neurorights Foundation, about the emergence of neurorights and why brain data represents one of the most sensitive frontiers in privacy and human rights. Sean explains what neurorights are, how they developed from advances in neurotechnology, and why mental privacy, identity, and free will must be protected as technology becomes capable of reading and influencing brain activity.

Debbie and Sean explore the five core neurorights, including mental privacy, fair access to mental augmentation, personal identity, free will, and freedom from algorithmic bias. They discuss real-world neurotechnology use cases, from medical treatment to consumer wellness devices, and why commercialization increases the urgency of governance. The episode examines risks such as discrimination, surveillance, and misuse of neural data, even in the absence of malicious intent.

The conversation also highlights Colorado’s groundbreaking neural data protections and how state-level action can address human rights gaps left by federal consumer-focused laws. Debbie and Sean discuss why states can serve as laboratories for rights-based protections, how neurorights differ from traditional data privacy, and what policymakers, companies, and individuals should be thinking about as neurotechnology becomes mainstream.

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Debbie Reynolds Consulting, LLC