Privacy law has propagated impressively around the globe since the United States enacted the world’s seminal statutes, namely the Fair Credit Reporting Act in 1970 and federal Privacy Act of 1974. While growth of the field has been steady, it has also been amazingly dynamic, both internationally and domestically. Even more significant, perhaps, is the fact “privacy” is commonly invoked to serve as the governance framework for digital issues and emerging technologies beyond just data protection. “Privacy” is not only growing in scope, importance and geographic footprint, but it is also the subject of increasing head-of-state focus and multilateral interest in finding common ground.
The "Privacy dynamics and the quest for convergence and commonality" by Alan Charles Raul, originally appeared in Privacy Perspectives of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. It is reprinted with permission.