After the GDPR caused a stir in Europe and there are still many questions and uncertainties two months after its entry into force, the world is already looking back at new regulations that are currently being planned. This time, people in the US want to tackle the difficult issue, and so, for the first time ever, a meeting with politicians, consumer advocates and corporations was held to discuss the issues.
Whether Europe with the GDPR has a role model here, it is arguable. The fact is, the issue of data protection and consumer protection is also gaining importance for the US government. As a spokeswoman for the White House confirmed, they are working on a bill in this area. Is this going to be as strict and comprehensive as in Europe? As it seems so far, probably not. Rather, a “balance between privacy and prosperity” should be achieved. But that could also mean that measures could only work for small and medium-sized enterprises and big corporations do not have to worry too much. Whether such a law can get through is the next question. It would not be surprising, according to the Washington Post, if it fails because of the disagreement between Republicans and Democrats.
With the planned data protection law, several construction sites are to be processed. On the one hand, the past privacy scandals on Facebook, Yahoo and Co. caused a lot of uncertainty – even among politicians. In addition, the state of California have already ventured a push with its own data protection law. If more states follow this model, there could soon be many different regulations that no one can overlook so the US government is a little forced to act here.
If the new data protection law fulfills its purpose and yet is not set too tightly, it will also be accepted by many large companies. The tech companies in particular, which had to adapt to the GDPR enforcement in Europe, have meanwhile adopted the requirements internationally and would therefore also agree with a solution within the USA if this does not go beyond the target and can be implemented.
