The adoption of the GDPR which came into effect in all EU Member States from May 2018, along with the agreement reached on the EU-US Privacy Shield and the review process of the e-privacy directive, were regarded as crucial steps towards a thriving digital economy and a successful European Digital Single Market. This year’s conference discussed the implementation of these rules and asked how organisations need to rethink their privacy and data protection policies. It also explored how data-driven innovation can be supported while preserving consumers’ and citizens’ privacy, as well as discussing the extent to which achieving a level-playing field for all market players is possible. Finally, it examined the new EU Data Protection rules within a global context.