By 2024, it’s likely that almost every U.S. state will have its own data privacy regulations. Businesses getting prepared now are barely ahead of the curve; those that put it off till the laws hit the market will have to scramble to keep up.
Data Protection
Certain types of personal data are very valuable to criminals, and can be very damaging to an individual or business if it falls into the wrong hands. As the world becomes more digital and more connected, more of this sort of data is generated and passed between various sources on a regular basis.
Government regulations and supervisory authorities aren’t just about keeping irresponsible parties in line. They also provide vital security guidance to every type of organization that handles sensitive personal, business or government information.
Data protection regulations also ensure that the end user has a transparent view of and a say in the processing of personal data. These safeguards play a significant role in everything from the preservation of civil rights to ensuring that democratic institutions function properly.
Some types of personal data are clear candidates for regulation: medical records, banking information, national ID numbers and so on. But some of these regulations also cover items that might seem relatively innocuous at first glance: home addresses, email addresses, website profile information and so on. For example, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has stipulations about anything that is unique to an individual to include phone numbers and social media accounts. People have varying levels of privacy preference with these items, but they are often protected by regulation because they can be used for targeted scams and attempts at identity theft.
Given that regulations often take the size and customer count of businesses into consideration in terms of penalties and the scope of protection of personal data, compliance is particularly important for enterprise-scale organizations. You do not necessarily have to have an active business presence in a country or region; simply storing data on or moving it through servers there may subject you to their data protection rules.
A new data reform bill included in the 2022 Queen's Speech promises a "pro-growth" framework of greater benefit to both businesses and citizens of the UK. It could put an end to the data adequacy decision that allows personal data to continue flowing between it and the EU.
With increasing privacy regulations, how exactly can organizations prepare for the looming privacy-driven era of digital advertising? It starts with baking privacy and transparency into all facets of operations.
Digital Services Act would bring new restrictions on how targeted advertising can use sensitive personal information and a requirement that the inner workings of recommender algorithms be visible to the public.
Leaked document saw a Facebook engineer lament the international privacy regulations that the company is now subject to, describing them as a "tsunami." Facebook now faces some sort of user data compliance requirements in over 100 countries.
A statement from Danske Bank indicates that the GDPR violations are tied to an inability to build data deletion functionality into its complex interlocked IT systems despite beginning efforts in 2016.
A new consumer privacy act has been signed into law in Utah and takes effect as 2023 ends, the fourth state bill of this nature to be passed. It is the most business-friendly of the bunch.
Privacy and cybersecurity professionals, the countdown is on. New omnibus privacy laws will go into effect in California and Virginia on January 1, 2023, creating a slew of updated regulatory requirements for businesses.
The CCPA went into effect at the start of 2020, providing two complete years of data at this point. The total number of data subject requests just about doubled from one year to the next.
As consumers demand greater corporate responsibility for their personal information, business and technology leaders face an ever-expanding list of challenges pertaining to cybersecurity and privacy of customer data.