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In Episode 271 of The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast, Debbie Reynolds, The Data Diva, talks with Ridwan Oloyede, Emerging Technologies and Technology Policy Lead, about the rapid evolution of data protection across Africa and why global conversations often misunderstand or oversimplify the continent. Ridwan shares insights into how privacy and technology policy have matured across African jurisdictions and why Africa should not be treated as a monolith in global regulatory discussions.

The conversation explores the growth of data protection laws, regulators, and professional communities across the continent, including how capacity building, certification, and cross-border collaboration are shaping the next generation of privacy leadership. Debbie and Ridwan discuss common misconceptions, the importance of local context, and how African countries diverge meaningfully on issues such as post-mortem privacy, registration requirements, audits, and cross-border data transfers.

They also examine how legal traditions that predate the GDPR influence modern African privacy frameworks, including differing approaches to legal bases for processing and consent. Ridwan emphasizes the need for better global research, storytelling, and representation to accurately reflect what is happening on the ground. The episode highlights Africa’s growing role in shaping global privacy norms through innovation, pragmatism, and preventative approaches to data protection.

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Debbie Reynolds Consulting, LLC

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In Episode 270 of The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast, Debbie Reynolds, The Data Diva, talks with Filipe Pinto, researcher, strategist, and author of Consumer-Controlled Digital Twin Architecture, about the future of personal data control and what it means to move beyond consent-based privacy models. The conversation centers on Filipe’s concept of consumer-controlled digital twins and why true privacy requires technical and architectural change rather than reliance on legal agreements alone.

Debbie and Filipe examine the limitations of today’s cloud-centric data ecosystem, including how consent has become performative rather than protective. They discuss the idea of de facto control versus de jure control of data, the risks of biased and incomplete data-driven inferences, and why personal data systems are fundamentally designed to remember rather than forget. The episode explores how engineered privacy could shift power back to individuals by keeping data at the edge and allowing AI models to move without transferring raw personal data.

The discussion also addresses equity, access, and feasibility, including concerns about whether consumer-controlled systems could unintentionally create new digital divides. Debbie and Filipe explore how privacy engineering, open collaboration, and cross-disciplinary thinking are required to design systems that respect autonomy while remaining practical and scalable. The episode challenges listeners to rethink privacy not as a regulatory checkbox, but as an architectural and societal design choice.

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Debbie Reynolds Consulting, LLC

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In Episode 269 of The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast, Debbie Reynolds, The Data Diva, talks with Kimberly Lancaster, Founder and CEO of Avalon Privacy and Compliance. They discuss the evolving relationship among privacy, security, and compliance and why companies must treat these functions as interconnected elements of trust rather than isolated disciplines. Kimberly explains how organizations of all sizes can build stronger programs by emphasizing transparency, shared responsibility, and thoughtful data stewardship throughout the enterprise.

The conversation explores the real world challenges companies face when scaling governance, including vendor diligence, access controls, continuous monitoring, and the risks created when teams assume that technology alone can solve problems. Kimberly describes why proactive privacy practices, including data inventories and lifecycle thinking, make companies more resilient, reduce downstream crises, and strengthen their ability to respond to new regulations without disruption.

Debbie and Kimberly also examine the human side of privacy work, highlighting how culture, empowerment, and community learning shape successful programs. Kimberly shares her wish for a future where transparency becomes the foundation for trust and where companies design experiences that offer convenience without requiring people to sacrifice their data unknowingly. She emphasizes that privacy leadership is ultimately about enabling people to grow, make better decisions, and help organizations operate with integrity.

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Debbie Reynolds Consulting, LLC