‘The Personal Data Protection Office on tour across Poland’ in Podkarpackie Voivodeship

On 20-21 March 2025, the Podkarpackie Voivodeship became the next stop of the ‘The Personal Data Protection Office on tour across Poland’ series of events. The meeting was organised by the Personal Data Protection Office in cooperation with the Rzeszów Bar Association, the Voivode  of Podkarpackie Voivodeship and the Social Team of Experts to the President of the Personal Data Protection Office. The event was addressed to Data Protection Officers (DPOs), data controllers, representatives of public administration, entrepreneurs and the education sector. Participants had the opportunity to benefit from expert consultations (the Infoline of the Personal Data Protection Office) and take part in the scientific conference entitled: ‘Information security within the organisation’ dedicated to the current challenges of personal data protection in different sectors.

"Today, personal data and their protection are crucial both for the protection of our privacy and for the security of the organisation and even the entire country", emphasised Mirosław Wróblewski, President of the Office for Personal Data Protection , opening the event.

Personal data protection and the challenges of modern technologies

During the two-day conference " Information security within the organisation "  current threats and challenges in the field of personal data protection, cybersecurity and the use of modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence or big data analysis were discussed.

"We live in a time when information is the object of exchange between institutions and cyber-attacks on virtual databases are part of everyday life" - noted Stanisław Hady-Głowiak, PhD from the Social Team of Experts to the President of Personal Data Protection Office.

Education and data protection in education

An important element of the visit to Podkarpackie Voivodeship were also meetings devoted to the personal data protection in education. As part of the ‘Your data – Your concern’ programme, the Primary School No 17 in Rzeszów hosted workshops and lectures for students and teachers on the risks associated with sharing personal data online and protecting the image of children and young people.

The experts from the Personal Data Protection Office emphasised that education on the personal data protection should start already at the primary school level, as young people are increasingly becoming the target of attacks in cyberspace.

"Let's start with schools, it is worth using the "Your data – Your concern" programme to build this awareness from the very beginning, from primary school", pointed out Stanisław Hady-Głowiak, PhD.

Experts from the Personal Data Protection Office in Rzeszów

During the event, the experts from the Personal Data Protection Office shared their knowledge and experience, comprising:

• Monika Krasińska – Director of the Law and New Technologies Department; during the first day of the conference, she took part in Panel I "Challenges related to the processing of personal data in the activities of public bodies". On the second day, she took part in Panel II "Threats related to the use of artificial intelligence in medicine",
• Monika Kurzajewska – Chief Specialist of the Law and New Technologies Department; during the conference on the first day, she took part in Panel II "The role and position of data protection officers in public entities and their cooperation with the Personal Data Protection Office",
• Paulina Dawidczyk – Director of the Complaints Department; during the conference at the Primary School No. 17 with Integration Units of the 21st Highland Brigade in Rzeszów, she gave a lecture: ‘Challenges for the protection of personal data in education’.

The experts from the Personal Data Protection Office Infoline also conducted individual consultations for representatives of public administration, enterprises and educational institutions. The consultation attracted a lot of interest, which confirms the growing need for education in the field of personal data protection.