In 1991, the World Wide Web went live. In the thirty years since, the world has forever changed — right down to the legal landscape.
Through the internet, personal information is collected and shared constantly. Companies, in particular, have come to rely on the data they collect from or about individuals to better operate businesses both on- and offline.
However, there’s a dark side to the prolific passing of data that exists online today. Malicious actors threaten to steal, sell, or otherwise manipulate users’ data. And businesses have the power to wield their vast collections of data.
Luckily, the treatment of data is monitored more than ever. Around the world, data privacy and protection laws are being implemented to better regulate how businesses collect and use personal information and personally identifiable information (or PII).
While these laws are a step in the right direction and serve to protect anyone and everyone who uses the internet, they can present difficulties to businesses that operate online. For example, since the May 2018 release of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), many small businesses have struggled to comply with GDPR cookie requirements and consent guidelines.
Furthermore, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was recently added to the list of US states’ privacy laws, and has left many questioning how to comply, or if they even need to.
All of this to say — compliance isn’t easy. While privacy laws are a positive contribution to the digital world, they present challenges to businesses across the globe. If you own an online business, app, or website, the first step to tackling compliance is to understand what laws affect your operation.
To learn about the major privacy laws around the world, check out the infographic below:
Contributing Author: KJ Dearie, Product Specialist and Privacy Consultant, Termly
KJ Dearie is a product specialist and privacy consultant for Termly, where she advises business owners and digital professionals on how to comply with the latest data privacy laws and trends.
