Millions of Americans log onto the internet daily and many of them do not realize that they are
being stolen from. More and more frequently companies are stealing peoples data and using it to
generate profits in the billions. Individual privacy is at risk and technology has outpaced our
ability to defend against it. In the article "Why Is America So Far Behind Europe on Digital
Privacy", The New York Times editorial board takes a stance on the issue of digital privacy laws
in America and explains how we have fallen behind compared to other countries. The article
compares the lack of regulations seen in the U.S. with those seen in the Europe. In 2018, the
G.D.P.R or General Data Protection Regulation was established to protect privacy rights online.
In comparison, in America, the only law slated to be put into place is the California Consumer
Privacy Act which will go into effect Jan. 1st 2020. The United States has acknowledged the
benefit of these types of laws, however, it has neglected to implement them in a timely fashion.
In our modern digital age with technology rapidly advancing, it is imperative that we also ensure
that regulations regarding privacy are advancing as well.
There are those among us who do not concern themselves with this issue and either prefer to
remain blatantly ignorant to the problems it may pose. Some feel as though the lack of digital
privacy is the new status quo and that there isn't anything we can do to avoid it. Others simply do
not care about their data or privacy online and are willingly allowing it to be sold and distributed.
A large majority of these individuals feel that with the millions of people online, the data of one
person is not worth protecting and that to do so constitutes extreme paranoia. While this may be
true to some extent, there is a strong argument for not allowing the practice of data collection to
become the norm. Americans have always been strong proponents of privacy rights and have
been for a long time. Only recently have we seemingly given up our fourth amendment rights
and allowed our private information to be seized by corporations. These large companies like
Facebook, and Google have taken advantage of the lack of regulation surrounding the issue. It is
in their best interests to keep the public unaware of their actions, allowing them to continue to
profit off of the uninformed users of their technology. According to the article, " Americans
deserve a robust discussion of what privacy rights they are entitled to and strong privacy laws to
protect them." Without this sort of dialogue we will continue to see technology advance while
protections against potential abuse are limited.
In an article by Cameron F. Kerry written for Brookings, Kerry discusses the consequences of
allowing this problem to go unaddressed. "It’s a losing game both for individuals and for our
legal system. If we don’t change the rules of the game soon, it will turn into a losing game for
our economy and society" (Kerry). It is important that our government step in and create
legislation that will address the issue nationwide. Without laws in place to protect our data, we
are vulnerable to greater and greater affronts to our privacy. Many recent scandals have proven
the importance for better digital security and privacy. David Meyer, in an article for Fortune,
explains how data breaches are one example of our need for new laws. "The need for such rules
was starkly apparent to consumers and lawmakers around the world when the GDPR took effect.
Mere months before, whistleblower Christopher Wylie had exposed how the political research
outfit Cambridge Analytica had gotten its hands on the personal data of tens of millions of
Facebook users without their consent" (Meyer). When confronted with revelations such as these
it becomes more and more apparent that the time for addressing digital privacy is now. Millions
of Americans and people across the world should be better protected online. In my own
experience, data theft has already had an impact on me personally. Targeted ads are constantly
pushed towards me giving one an eerie feeling of having been watched. Also, the theft of
personal information pertaining to credit and debit cards can be frustrating and violating.
With the technology at our finger tips continuing to grow the U.S. should continue to work
diligently to embrace digital rights. We have made some progress in the form of the California
Consumer Privacy Act, however, more legislation should be implemented nationally. Those who
doubt the necessity of these new types of laws should recognize that while the issue may seem
minor at this point in time, things could easily get out of hand if we do not act now. The fact of
the matter is that tech will continue to grow at an unprecedented rate. "This explosion is
generated by the doubling of computer processing power every 18-24 months that has driven
growth in information technology throughout the computer age, now compounded by the billions
of devices that collect and transmit data, storage devices and data centers that make it cheaper
and easier to keep the data from these devices, greater bandwidth to move that data faster, and
more powerful and sophisticated software to extract information from this mass of data" (Kerry).
It won't be easy for our laws to match the growth of information and data that is currently being
output, but is in everyone's best interest to make a meaningful effort. By following the example
set by Europe and acting sooner rather than later we can hopefully get things under control
before it becomes a greater problem. By preparing for the inevitable future, we can establish
guidelines for what is acceptable and limit the invasion of our digital privacy.
Works Cited
Kerry, Cameron. "Why Protecting Privacy Is A Losing Game Today And How To Change The
Game." Brookings. 12 Jul. 2018. https://www.brookings.edu/research/why-protecting-privacy-isa-losing-game-today-and-how-to-change-the-game/. Accessed 7 Aug. 2019.
Meyer, David. "In The Wake Of GDPR, Will The US Embrace Data Privacy." Fortune. 29 Nov.
2018. https://fortune.com/2018/11/29/federal-data-privacy-law/. Accessed 7 Aug. 2019.