EU, India and US make louder noises about legislating privacy protection

On the assumption that all (or maybe a lot) of change can be good, things are good for data protection in key parts of the world.

There are regulatory updates from the European Union, India and the United States.

The EU’s data protection supervisor is changing the office’s org chart to “continuously respond and adapt” to data protection challenges.

Supervisor Wojciech Wiewiórowski has appointed the agency’s first secretary-general, Leonardo Cervera Navas. Navas is to give strategic advice based on his 24 years in data protection.

Also, the world to be regulated is being divided to be more manageable for staff. One sector will be freedom, security and justice. Another operation sector will respond efficiently to complaints by consumers and conduct investigations.

The office’s technology and privacy unit is being redefined, according to Wiewiórowski. He wants to make sure there is enough oversight and auditing of software and systems for data protection.

In India, the central government has made its second attempt in six years to create legislation to protect data. Six years ago, the Supreme Court named privacy a fundamental right.

The bill – the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill of 2022 — was approved by the Union Cabinet this month, according to The Indian Express. Little else about the legislation will be made public until it gets to Parliament.

Finally, the International Association of Privacy Professionals, or IAPP, has published an analysis of what it considers a boom in state privacy law creation.

Four states – Montana, Tennessee, Indiana and Iowa – pass laws before April was out. The article contains good analysis for why individual states are acting.

But the bigger question, why multiple bills getting signed now – is attributed to legislators just doing their jobs, which is a half answer. Legislators have been watching to see the price first-movers pay – who’s coffers overflow, who is turned out in an election.

The same calculus is being figured in the U.S. Congress. Everyone wants to move quickly and decisively as long as consumers don’t revolt and businesses don’t withdraw campaign donations.

Article Topics

biometric data  |  data privacy  |  data protection  |  EU  |  India  |  legislation  |  United States