In this episode we're in conversation with Gilbert Hill. Gilbert is a privacy technologist and he's talking at the 2021 Summit in May.

Most recently Gilbert was CEO and Advisor to Tapmydata, a start-up building consumer-grade tools for people to exercise data rights, with blockchain keeping score.  Before becoming CEO of TapMyData, Gilbert founded Optanon and, as the MD, grew it to become the market leader in the provision of website auditing and cookie compliance solutions in the UK and EU. Gilbert is a Fellow and Senior Tutor on Privacy and Ethics at the Institute of Data and Marketing.

During our conversation Gilbert explains how, after graduating from Cambridge University with a degree in anthropology and archaeology, he became a privacy technologist.

We discuss how he conceives of privacy and we talk about Tapmydata and how it enables consumers to exercise their data rights — contrary to popular opinion at the time that people didn't care about their data — and the advantage for companies who hold it.

Gilbert talks about the growing movement to re-emancipating citizens in terms of their data and its value, and the concept of data unions, which is enshrined in the EU’s Digital Markets Act. We also discuss the role that blockchain and crypto have to play in data privacy.

Lastly, Gilbert shares some of his recommended reads and why he's looking forward to the summit.

Follow Gilbert on Twitter @GilbertHill and read his writing at gilberthill.medium.com.

Mentioned in our conversation:
Covid-19 and the cult of privacy by Daniel Miller
An Artificial Revolution: On Power, Politics and AI by Ivana Bartoletti
The End of Trust (McSweeney's 54) - features an interview with Ed Snowden explaining blockchain to his lawyer.
Privacy is Power: Why and How You Should Take Back Control of Your Data by Carissa Véliz
The Cryptocurrency Revolution: Finance in the Age of Bitcoin, Blockchains and Tokens by Rhian Lewis

And lastly enjoy comedian Stevie Martin's funny video, which is a biting commentary on the “accept all” cookie option.