Is a National Data Privacy Framework on the horizon?
With California’s data privacy law going into effect on January 1 and other states considering similar legislation, it is clear that businesses and consumers in the United States will have to navigate a piecemeal framework in the years to come.
This approach to regulation is unfavorable for consumers, businesses and governments alike.
More than a dozen states are working to implement data protection regulations similar to the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), including Nevada, Maine, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois and Maryland. It will be difficult and expensive for businesses to manage compliance across 50 states, and the patchwork approach could limit cross-border commerce. Moreover, states may face hurdles in trying to regulate data privacy, like facing pushback from businesses and possessing a lack of expertise in defining and enforcing digital privacy.
A coalition of CEOs recently sent a letter to lawmakers in Washington D.C. asking for an overarching federal privacy framework. And the concept of data privacy regulation is also popular with Americans, as 66% of people surveyed by Akamai said they want the U.S. to adopt GDPR-style rules, according to an article by GovTech. A separate survey by SAS found 67% of those polled believe the government should do more to protect their privacy.
While there is little hope for a nationwide solution anytime soon, the reality is that data privacy legislation is inevitable and businesses and government agencies need to invest to prepare. The TechWire commentary, The Benefits of a National Data Privacy Framework, recommends training employees and brushing up on proposed data privacy regulations endorsed by the Government Accountability Office and an FTC commissioner.
Preparing for CCPA, Other Data Privacy Laws to Come
As the regulatory environment continues evolving, organizations cannot afford to sit back and simply hope to comply and protect their valuable data.
As more states begin crafting legislation addressing consumer data privacy, Heureka recommends that companies draft privacy policies to cover current laws but also with an eye toward state laws such as California’s.
How Heureka helps
Heureka provides a flexible platform which is helping companies around the globe search, locate, report and remediate on unstructured data. There are three specific areas where Heureka provides value according to existing and drafted state law:
- Heureka helps identify consumer data in unstructured data, regardless of where it is stored.
- Heureka provides reports on location and type of stored or collected data.
- Heureka provides a single tool to help remediate files (request to delete) on desktops, laptops or file shares.
We invite you to schedule a demo to see how easy it can be to manage your data privacy.