Who gets a say over the data organizations collect from you? Privacy legislation is one way governments respond to demands for more control over personal data. These laws can shape how much access and control people have, though the rules are still changing. section 5.11
The push has a history: Alan Westin’s 1967 work on privacy helped prompt US legislation and wider privacy movements. By November 2021, 128 of 194 countries had enacted legislation protecting data and privacy. That figure is a snapshot, not a current count. section 5.11
Different governments are shaping different parts of the data ecosystem:
- EU laws, including the GDPR, Data Act, and Data Governance Act, help define relationships between people, companies, and data. section 4.10
- Australian regulators have pressed global technology companies to pay for local content and work with local firms. section 4.10
- US federal and state laws affect people’s ability to protect, manage, and monetize their data. In 2021, states were still introducing, debating, and passing consumer privacy bills. section 4.10 section 5.11
Legislation is also a category of governmental Open Data. Making such data accessible can help people examine public decisions and participate in civic life. To understand what protections apply to you, check current laws rather than relying on an older snapshot; privacy statutes may be revised or replaced as ideas about data ownership change. section 6.5.4 section 5.11
