After a pivotal year for data protection and privacy in both the EU and globally in 2018, The 9th European Data Protection and Privacy Conference returned to Brussels in March 2019 and explored the extent to which the power of data could truly be harnessed through trust and responsible use in order to deliver economic growth and societal benefits. It also debated how an international system based on shared principles and ethics might be developed – all in the context of increasing technological innovation, on-going regulatory discussions in the EU around digital evidence and ePrivacy, and other global political developments.