'Clarity in action'?! The EDPB's 2025 annual report and litigation battles

In this episode, Rob looks at the newly published European Data Protection Board (EDPB) annual report for 2025. We are skipping the usual backward-looking statistics to focus entirely on the regulator's pipeline for 2026 and the massive multi-front litigation war currently playing out in the European courts. From new harmonised templates to high-stakes legal battles with Big Tech and fellow regulators, we break down what privacy professionals need to know for the year ahead.What we cover in this episodeThe EDPB's drive for simplification, including upcoming templates for data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) and data breach notifications.A controversial new web form designed to let stakeholders report inconsistencies between national and EDPB guidance.The board's heavy litigation docket, featuring clashes with Meta, TikTok, WhatsApp, the Irish Data Protection Commission, and the European Commission.The brewing turf war over the Digital Omnibus and the European Commission's attempt to rewrite the definition of personal data.Upcoming joint guidelines on the interplay between the AI Act and the GDPR.