“We are living in a time of rapid and profound changes in the use of data, and we must constantly reinvent ourselves—and, more than just reinventing ourselves, we must always remain vigilant to ensure the security and governance of that data,” said Serpro President Alexandre Amorim at the opening of the 2nd Privacy and Data Protection Week (see photos), an event organized by the company that began on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 24.
President Amorim stated that the 2nd Week aims to promote the development of an open and modern culture around the topic of privacy and data protection, and he put the role of technology and data in the country into context. “Technology and data must be the driving force behind social development and inclusion. Today, thinking about the model of digital inclusion also means thinking about how to achieve social inclusion,” he noted.
National Coordination, Digital Sovereignty, and Artificial Intelligence
“We need to talk a lot about personal data protection. And there’s nothing better than events like this, where we have the opportunity to share the latest developments and bring good ideas to the Authority. It’s a long road, and it’s these actions that will help us bring about a cultural shift in the country,” said Waldemar Gonçalves, CEO of the National Data Protection Authority.
Rogério Mascarenhas, Secretary of Digital Government at the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, highlighted the role of the public enterprise as the guardian of the country’s data. “Serpro plays a major role in data privacy and protection. A country with a public institution like Serpro is better prepared to face this challenge. We’ve been working to protect data for over 50 years,” he emphasized. For him, this is the company’s calling and purpose. “This is the role that, since the beginning of this administration, we’ve sought to reclaim and demonstrate to society—the importance of this company within this context,” added Mascarenhas.
“Serpro plays a major role in privacy and data protection. A country with a public infrastructure like Serpro is better prepared to meet this challenge,” Rogério Mascarenhas
“To build digital sovereignty, we need investment in digital sovereignty and coordination among various sectors: regulatory agencies, government bodies, public companies, and civil society organizations that conduct research on these issues,” noted Tomaz Miranda, director of the National Consumer Secretariat at the Ministry of Justice, as he emphasized the importance of holding the event. “The more mature the discussion on these issues becomes, the better it is for the country,” Tomaz added.
The closing remarks at the opening of the 2nd Serpro Privacy and Data Protection Week were delivered by Dora Kaufman, a professor at PUC/SP and a researcher in artificial intelligence. Kaufman, who is also a writer, addressed the discussions on AI regulation and reaffirmed the need for social collaboration in addressing privacy and data protection. “We must bring together the public and private sectors and academia to tackle current challenges, which requires building a large ecosystem. Each of us, individually, has our limits when it comes to dealing with the complexity of today’s environment,” she said.
The professor described the key elements that make up this complex and challenging landscape. “These three—digital sovereignty, investment in infrastructure, and AI strategy—are basic and fundamental issues for the country’s development,” argued Dora Kaufman.
SerDigi: Serpro Game Recognized by the MEC
“The 2nd Serpro Privacy and Data Protection Week further solidifies the company’s role with regard to the Brazilian government and society on this issue. Serpro has set out to become—and has succeeded in becoming—one of the leading authorities on data protection,” noted Alexandre Maimoni, Serpro’s Director of Legal, Management, and Risk Affairs, who also serves as the company’s Data Protection Officer.
President Amorim announced, and Director Maimoni emphasized, the Ministry of Education’s recognition of a company initiative. “We are especially pleased that the Ministry of Education has recognized a game created by our team, SerDigi, which serves an educational purpose in the area of data protection,” the director said.
SerDigi is a board game designed to raise awareness among children and teens about privacy and personal data protection, providing an engaging and fun way to learn about safe behavior in cyberspace (media, the internet, social media, etc.).
Complete Schedule
Following the opening ceremony, the program for the 2nd Week continued with another panel discussion and two lectures. The discussion on the Regulatory Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence featured Juliana Müller Jorge, general coordinator of Institutional and International Relations, and Thiago Moraes, coordinator of Innovation and Research—both from the ANPD—as well as Professor Dora Kaufman.
Next, Renan Santos, Director of Data Infrastructure at the Secretariat of Digital Government (SGD); Paulo Rezende, Manager of the Digital Government Division at Serpro; and Diego Costa, Advisor to the Executive Board of the ANPD, presented the lecture “Government as a Platform (GaaP).”
And to round out the first day of the event, Serpro’s manager and data management integration analyst—Inah Barbosa (Tuti) and Aline Macohin, respectively—delivered a presentation titled:“Artificial Intelligence Governance in the Public Sector Through Transparency—Opportunities and Challenges for Corporate AI Governance at Serpro.”
Click here and check out the schedule for the coming days.