Phrasly vs Walter Writes

As governments continue to develop more strict privacy laws researchers are beginning to show concern over whether these laws can effectively cover the amount of data being collected by companies. Many countries have developed privacy acts that allow their citizens to know what data companies are collecting and can delete or stop companies from using their data. Although there are flaws with these new regulations many people believe it to be a positive. There are many drawbacks to these laws. Privacy policies allow companies to gain your consent to use your data. Since most people do not read privacy policies its almost impossible to truly tell if someone knows their data is being used. It's been said that it would take the average person 7+ hours a day for one year just to read all the policies you'd come across. There are many reasons why people don't take the time to read these policies and some people even say the companies purposely do this to ensure consent. Another issue with privacy laws is enforcement. There aren't enough employees within regulatory agencies to keep up with all of these companies. When cases are investigated it can take multiple years. Once fines are given to companies it can sometimes seem cheap compared to their earnings. Because of how global our world has become with internet and data. There is so much gray area when it comes to international laws and regulations. Recently we've seen many examples of why moving EU data to the US isn't possible and will create issues. As our technology advances there is more gray area around privacy laws. What is considered personally identifiable information? Companies can use databases of information and figure out who people are by matching different sets of data together. Also with all the new information being derived from peoples data where does the line get drawn when you didn't give that information. Not all forms of collecting data will fall under these new laws. Companies such as data brokers buy and sell peoples information with no knowledge of that person. Governments also can use this data to find information about people that they wouldn't have been able to obtain without a warrant.

With more technology and companies developing ways to profit off peoples data. There are calls for change from those who believe that people should have more control over their information. One example would be limiting what information a company can collect on you.

Privacy laws are something that will continue to grow and evolve with our world. Currently its up to each of us to help secure our own information.

**Laws Protecting Digital Privacies Are Slowly Being Outpaced By The Amount Of Data That Companies Are Collecting From Technology Users**

While legislators around the world have been celebrating the passage of landmark digital privacy legislation, privacy advocates and researchers are warning that those laws cannot keep pace with the way we currently gather and use our data. As a result, there are many areas where the law does not provide adequate protection for users' personally identifiable information (PII).

Recent state and federal laws give consumers the right to review, delete, and restrict companies from using consumer PII. However, most critics of these laws believe that the protections being offered by these laws are more symbolic than actual.

A primary challenge facing all forms of digital privacy regulation is the issue of informed consent. While nearly all forms of online privacy regulation attempt to establish a connection between a company collecting consumer PII and obtaining the consumer's permission to do so, it is well established that most consumers do not actually read or comprehend privacy policies. One widely-cited study found that if one were to spend an average of just five minutes per day reading each and every privacy statement a typical Internet user encounters during the course of a single calendar year, he/she/they would be required to spend approximately two full months of work time solely to accomplish this task. Furthermore, even when consumers are presented with a consent banner, most simply click "yes" in order to continue accessing the service.

Another barrier to enforcing meaningful digital privacy regulation is the fact that regulatory bodies are grossly underfunded compared to the number of entities they regulate. Regulatory investigations into alleged violations of digital privacy law can take multiple years to complete. Even then, fines issued to violators tend to be based upon a percentage of revenue that may not be material enough to impact a major technology firm's bottom line. Additionally, some of the largest technology firms view fines as merely a normal operating expense.

Finally, the international nature of the Internet creates additional obstacles to enacting effective digital privacy regulation. Because data travels internationally at speeds measured in milliseconds, regulatory jurisdiction stops at national boundaries. For example, numerous times disputes regarding the transfer of personal data from Europe to the U.S. have resulted in invalidation of previously negotiated agreements and created uncertainty for both businesses and end-users.

In addition to regulatory challenges, the rapid technological advancements occurring in the area of big data analytics and artificial intelligence are rendering outdated much of the language contained within current digital privacy laws. Current laws generally define "personally identifiable information" (PII) as any information that could reasonably be used to identify an individual. However, recent advancements in big data analytics have allowed companies to create profiles of individuals who had previously been anonymized by linking together various datasets. Moreover, inferences made by algorithms concerning an individual's health, financial status, politics etc., exist in a gray area of law as they represent something derived from a combination of publicly available sources, app usage patterns, credit reports etc. versus data provided directly by an individual.

Additionally, several types of data collection activities are taking place which are beyond the scope of current digital privacy regulations. For instance, data brokerages are compiling comprehensive dossiers containing information on virtually every aspect of an individual's life through a variety of means including; public records searches, app usage data, information purchases etc. without having any direct relationship to the individual(s) being profiled. Similarly, government acquisition of commercially-held data has raised serious concerns as governments are able to purchase information that would normally require a warrant to acquire.

Advocates of digital privacy advocate for a paradigmatic shift in the manner in which digital privacy is regulated away from requiring individuals to provide explicit consent prior to data collection towards limiting the type and quantity of data collected by companies prior to collection (data minimization). Advocates also propose banning certain types of data-related activities entirely (e.g. sale of sensitive location data).

On the other hand, industry representatives argue that overly restrictive data collection limitations will hinder future innovations in technology and disproportionately harm small businesses due to compliance costs associated with implementing complex regulatory requirements. This battle is expected to escalate as AI continues to drive ever-increasing demands for high volumes of quality training data.

Currently, experts agree that until legislative bodies create and implement better digital privacy laws, individuals will bear the responsibility for protecting their own digital information -- a burden that few possess sufficient knowledge or resources to assume.