There is a common thread that has run through the world of technology, law, and civil society for over twenty years: it is called e-privacy, and it is more than just a conference. It is a cultural stronghold. It is a stance. Above all, it is an unmissable appointment for anyone who believes that freedom also—and perhaps especially—depends on the protection of personal data.

ISGroup renews its support for e-privacy: because today, more than ever, defending privacy is a duty.

This is also why ISGroup has chosen to be there. Once again. But not as a mere spectator: as a convinced sponsor and partner, standing alongside those who work every day to restore dignity, awareness, and concrete tools to those living in the digital world.

On May 22nd and 23rd, at the Faculty of Law of the University of Bari, the thirty-sixth edition of the conference will kick off, titled “Life is all one dossier.” And never has that title resonated as a warning as it does today.

We live in an era where every click, every typed word, and every traceable gesture is potentially part of an archive—official or otherwise—that speaks about us. An era in which technology, however brilliant, has stopped asking for our permission. And in which the illusion of control has given way to a silent resignation.

But giving up is not in ISGroup’s DNA.

Our mission was born precisely on this ridge: where security meets ethics, expertise intertwines with responsibility, and technology finally bows to the interests of people. For us, sponsoring e-privacy means giving strength to a collective voice that demands more transparency, more rights, and fewer compromises.

And it is a gesture that goes beyond visibility. It is a declaration of intent.

This year’s program promises to be dense, lucid, and sharp: we will talk about artificial intelligence and predictive surveillance, dark patterns and manipulated consent, digital health, privacy applied to SMEs, and even the role of security agencies in a society that is increasingly observed and less free.

At the center, as always, will be people. Those who suffer, those who resist, those who want to understand. And those—like us—who choose every day to protect, train, and innovate with integrity.

Being a sponsor of e-privacy does not simply make us part of the event. It makes us part of a community. An alliance that believes in human technology, in security as a right, and in transformation as an opportunity for everyone, not just for a few.

For this reason, to those who ask us why we continue to support this event, the answer is simple: because it is necessary.

And because it is not enough to say which side you are on. You have to prove it.

Who is ISGroup SRL

ISGroup SRL is an Italian cybersecurity boutique founded in 2013 by a group of independent researchers active in the Italian ethical hacker scene since 1994. With a handcrafted and specialized approach, ISGroup provides manual and advanced security tests, focused on analysis from an attacker’s perspective.

The company is recognized for its expertise in the fields of Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessment, and Red Teaming, offering customized services to companies, institutions, and non-profit organizations. ISGroup is ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certified and regularly works on critical projects for national security, regulatory compliance, and digital resilience.

Over the years, ISGroup has supported independent projects dedicated to the defense of privacy and digital rights, such as the Winston Smith Project. This collaboration reflects the company’s mission: to improve the security of technologies and promote a culture of data protection in an increasingly digital society.

Inside the agenda: three days to understand what is really happening to our privacy

Some consider it a lost battle. Others ignore it, distracted by more tangible urgencies. Yet, privacy remains one of the most crucial—and often least understood—issues of our time. It is no coincidence that the 2025 edition of e-privacy chooses a title as provocative as it is emblematic: “Life is all one dossier.”

Over the course of the three sessions scheduled between May 22nd and 23rd, a packed calendar of talks will guide us through an examination without rhetoric, and without discounts, on what it means today to be exposed, tracked, and profiled. And on what the concrete possibilities are for defending ourselves.

The morning of May 22nd opens with an implicit but powerful question: can we still talk about confidentiality?

This is highlighted by Marco Calamari, a historical figure of the Winston Smith Project, who introduces the proceedings by reminding us how every aspect of our existence—personal, professional, health-related—is now reduced to strings of data, analyzable and marketable.

Immediately after, Ugo Lopez tackles one of the most urgent knots: artificial intelligence, privacy, and security. Where do the boundaries between automation and surveillance end? And how aware are we really of the interactions between these worlds?

The real provocation comes from Christian Bernieri, a long-time DPO, who explores a concept as uncomfortable as it is realistic: unintentional data mistreatment, i.e., those cases in which the victim themselves provides—unwittingly—the tools for their own control.

Nanni Bassetti, an expert in digital forensics, brings the discussion to an even more concrete level: are the AI Act and privacy really applicable, or are they just theory? A question that shakes more than one operator in the sector.

Following this, reflections open on the way we live—and organize—our data. Emanuele Brambilla introduces an interesting distinction between “infosphere” and “docusphere,” while Art P. challenges the audience with a disorienting question: is privacy really within our reach, or is it a privilege for the few?

Finally, Stefano Mastella debunks one of the most widespread clichés: that the GDPR is too complex for SMEs. With a pragmatic tone and data in hand, he shows that the problem is not so much the regulation, but the will (or lack thereof) to apply it.

Closing the morning, Jolanda Giacomello takes us into the near future with a scenario as disturbing as it is plausible: predictive dossiering, or the algorithmic profiling of our choices before we even make them.

In the afternoon, the reflection shifts to education, platforms, and manipulation.

The session opens with a roundtable on the ethics of data processing in schools and universities: Learning Analytics, understood as a behavioral analysis tool, can become a double-edged sword if poorly managed. A multidisciplinary team led by Michele Baldassarre will discuss this.

Then we enter the heart of the question that gives the event its title: who reads our dossiers? Rebecca Berto explains this, addressing the issue of legal basis and access rights.

The afternoon raises the level of attention with Ferdinando Traversa, who recounts the challenges of Wikipedia, a platform that has always moved on a very delicate balance between openness, anonymity, and editorial responsibility.

Two high-profile talks follow: Marco Ciurcina, a lawyer specializing in technology law, explores the intersections between State and market in privacy governance; while Vito Nicola Convertini reveals the (often invisible) mechanisms of dark patterns and proposes technical solutions against consent manipulation.

Luca Landucci closes the day with a broad reflection on the hidden value of our online life: a wealth that rarely truly belongs to us.

And on May 23rd? We get into the heart of institutional challenges.

Friday morning opens with one of the hottest topics of the moment: the creation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS). Filippo Bianchini explores its potential, but also its ambiguities.

This is followed by a careful and uncompromising reading of social platforms as “digital dossiers,” signed by Monica Gobbato and Angela Pedalina.

The third talk is entrusted to an exceptional guest, representing one of the most authoritative Italian authorities on personal data protection. The discussion focuses on the need for a balance between the protection of rights and technological development, between individual freedoms and collective security. A systemic vision that attempts to answer a crucial question: is it still possible to govern the digital ecosystem without surrendering to its complexity?

After the break, the stage is occupied by a sharp reflection on a theme as underestimated as it is pervasive: the monetization of personal data. Behind every free app, every easy access, every “no-cost” service, there is a value that is extracted from us, often without our knowledge. Who collects it? Who controls it? And who protects it?

We continue with a stinging analysis of the role of national security agencies, which for years have been operating in the shadows of ambiguous regulations and increasingly elastic legitimizations. The boundary between surveillance and security, between protection and intrusion, becomes thinner every day. And the question is not whether they are watching us, but how much and with what consequences.

The penultimate talk takes on an ironic and provocative tone in its title, but is lucid in its analysis: “We’ve discovered hot water.” An invitation to reconsider what we now take for granted, but which in reality continues to threaten our digital freedom.

The session closes with a high-density technical contribution dedicated to data anonymization systems: a promise often unfulfilled, vulnerable, and bypassable. The talk shows how, even here, good intentions risk shipwrecking without careful design, constant surveillance, and a public debate that is up to the task.

With the concluding words of XXX, e-privacy XXXVI closes. But the feeling is clear: the conference ends, the dossier does not. It is up to us to decide whether to write it, suffer it, or—finally—protect it.