This coming January 28, the Dutch Privacy Awards will be presented at the privacy annual conference of ECP and Privacy First. One of the nominees is Philosophy in Action with their six-day Data Ethics Conversation Leader Course. The course provides participants with conversation techniques with philosophical finesse that they can immediately apply to data issues within their organizations. We talked with Piek Knijff, director of Philosophy in Action about privacy and the importance of data ethics within organizations.
Piek Knijff, director of Philosophy in Action, enthusiastically reflects on the nomination of their six-day course Discussion Leader Data Ethics for the Privacy Awards 2025. "It feels like great recognition for the work we do," begins Knijff.
The course is designed to train professionals from various sectors in philosophical conversation techniques. "We teach them to reflect on the desirability of data use and applications within their organizations," Knijff explains. Participants come from diverse backgrounds, from policy officers and privacy officers to data scientists and AI specialists. "That diversity makes the conversations particularly instructive. People not only bring their own perspectives, but also learn from each other," she says.
What sets Philosophy in Action apart is its value-driven approach. "We approach privacy not just as a legal issue, but rather as a social value that is connected to other values," Knijff emphasizes. "Our concern is what privacy means to society as a whole and how that affects organizations."
Practical applicability is central to the training. "We want the conversations to actually lead somewhere. At the end of the training, participants work out a concrete final product linked to an issue within their own organization. This often leads to tangible changes," Knijff explains. Participants present their final product on the final day and receive guidance on how to apply it in their organization.
On the biggest privacy issue today, Knijff is clear: "Generative AI poses a huge challenge. Many people are not aware of how those models are trained and what data they process. Also, what you add to the data yourself poses risks."
Knijff hopes the nomination inspires others to incorporate more ethical reflection into their organizations. "Our mission is to put our money where our mouth is and ensure that Philosophy in Action produces tangible results. This nomination motivates us to do even more of that," she concludes.
The Privacy Awards will be presented in January during the National Privacy Conference 2025. Until then, Philosophy in Action continues to work on their mission: to encourage ethical reflection and action perspectives in the digital field.
