INTERNATIONAL
Privacy in the Global Economy
Countries around the world have data protection laws in place that aim to ensure that government and organizations are protecting citizens’ privacy. Within Europe, there are many stringent laws in place, and many countries outside of Europe, the United States and Canada have turned to addressing privacy through legal obligations.
EUROPE
In Europe, the EU Directive on Data Protection attempts to harmonize the various national privacy laws in Europe to promote European-wide commerce. But now, it is critical for organizations around the world who collect or analyze personal data about EU residents to get ready for the EU's General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") which will come fully into force on May 25, 2018.
The best way to stay up to date on current international privacy legislation is to visit the websites of the data or privacy commissioners, or oversight agencies in each country: