Rob van Eijk
AI, Privacy & EU Regulatory Affairs
Nine years as technologist and senior supervision officer at the Dutch Data Protection Authority, senior fellow at the Future of Privacy Forum, and a PhD from Leiden University on how real-time bidding systems process personal data.
How I work
I start with the system itself: what data it collects, where that data goes, and who can use it. Only then do I look at what the law requires.
I look at it from the end user's point of view: what could go wrong for the people whose data is involved? That gives a clear basis for weighing risks and choosing technical, organisational, and contractual measures.
Key publications
From Pseudonymised to Anonymous Data: A practical assessment framework under the SRB ruling, applied to real use cases provided by European companies
Cabinet SAMMAN & Blaeu (2026)
In this joint policy report with Benjamin de Vanssay, we set out a practical framework for assessing when pseudonymised data becomes anonymous under the SRB ruling. We apply the framework to real use cases provided by European companies.
Unlocking Data Protection By Design & By Default: Lessons from the Enforcement of Article 25 GDPR
Future of Privacy Forum (2023), co-edited with G. Zanfir-Fortuna and I. Perera
A report on how data protection authorities and courts have enforced Article 25 GDPR, and what that means for data protection by design and by default in practice. Written by C. Michelakaki and S. Barros Vale.
Web Privacy Measurement in Real-Time Bidding Systems: A Graph-Based Approach to RTB System Classification
Leiden University, Leiden Law School (2019)
My doctoral thesis measured how real-time bidding systems track users across websites, and showed how personal data flows between partners in RTB networks because of their specialised roles in online advertising.
Track record
Fifteen years of EU regulatory work, including:
- Dutch DPA representative in the WP29/EDPB Technology Expert Subgroup (2010–2019)
- Berlin Group (International Working Group on Data Protection in Technology) since 2010, first for the Dutch DPA and since 2022 as independent expert
- Keynotes at the Conference Board, the Berlin Group, and Deutsche Telekom
- Presentations to the Article 29 Working Party, the European Parliament's LIBE Committee, and the Council of the EU
- Opening remarks at the OECD