Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Why is there no data privacy law in the US? In the US, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has issued a request for feedback via a public forum where anyone can weigh in on how big tech handles your data.
This notice and forum are to collect information and thoughts ahead of future rules regarding this US data privacy law. Unfortunately, any such regulations are unlikely to come this year.
In particular, they concentrate on the effects of data collection and how people are negatively affected. The FTC could obtain this collection in various ways. The other main point the FTC wants to target is how large tech companies use automated AI systems that impact us without prior consent or knowledge.
This study is critical to the FTC and legislative branch being able to enact rules and protocols to control this. The crucial first step for Data Privacy Law in the US.
How do I find details of this event?
September 9 is the date for the FTC public hearing where everyone can have the opportunity to weigh in.
The normal FTC process gives affected companies limited input on the issue. At this point, large tech companies, Apple, Google, and Facebook, have declined to comment.
Why is this happening now?
Recently the U.S Senate voted to confirm privacy expert Alvaro Bedoya to the Federal Trade Commission. The two political parties fought a bitter battle over this appointment.
So this recent action is no great surprise given Alvaro is taking up his new position. Despite increased pressure on the federal government for a national data protection act.
Congress has stalled on many approaches to this, none of which ever got the support it needed to go further.
So, like the climate crisis, the U.S has arrived at this point through years of inaction. And now, this task has fallen to the FTC to help catch up on data privacy laws in the U.S.
In 2021 around 23 states introduced some form of data privacy legislation to cover the shortfall of federal privacy laws. Still, out of those 23, only 2 made these into laws.
Will the US enact A Federal data privacy law similar to Europe’s GDPR?
Our modern world, especially here in the US, demands uniform regulation. Such regulation would not only protect the citizens here and give them peace of mind no matter where they live or indeed move.
Tech companies today do not operate within conventional borders. Navigating various local, state, and federal laws add complexity and sheer expense to their operations.
Europe’s GDPR, which came in in 2018, has meant that many American companies have already attempted to comply with this law. Why? You may ask. To conduct business and compete with other world companies, they have to.
So it would make the most sense for America to adopt a federal Data Privacy Law based on Europe’s GPDR that already governs the lion’s share of world companies.
