The United States does not currently have a comprehensive federal consumer data privacy law. Some states have written their own privacy regulations, leaving companies who do business in the US with a patchwork of disparate laws to navigate. Until Congress takes action, businesses are left to implement complicated privacy compliance programs that account for jurisdictional differences–or to ignore the rules entirely, which can amount to incredible risk.
SixFifty’s legal automation technology is the answer.
The importance of data privacy regulation
World leaders agree that we must restrict the flow of personal data. There is not much difference in the big picture of privacy among various regions of the world; the principles are fairly universal and uncontroversial. The tricky thing is capturing these principles in tools to facilitate the safe use and transfer of personal data.
In April 2022, Brad Smith, the President of Microsoft, said that comprehensive privacy legislation for the United States is not just needed, it’s long overdue. He noted that in 2022, more than 120 jurisdictions around the world have enacted new laws, proposed legislation, or are considering changes to existing laws. The failure of the United States to legislate doesn’t stop global regulation; it just makes our country less influential in the world. “Some things are easier to design than build. Some things are easier to build than operate,” Smith said.
Smith stated that we will need a large community, thoughtful communication, and a new mindset to manage technology and privacy around the world. Governments are creating complex regulatory requirements for technology. Technology can be a threat to personal privacy. It can also be a tool that is helping to solve the world’s problems.
“Privacy professionals stand in the middle of a digital revolution on one side and human systems and patterns of behavior on the other side. The path toward technological advancements is a lot bumpier than the visionary’s dream. Visionaries need help navigating the problems of the real world.”
-Malcolm Gladwell | IAPP Global Privacy Summit 2022
The current state of privacy laws in the US
As of July 2022, five states have passed comprehensive consumer privacy legislation, with more states expected to follow. California’s trailblazing CCPA will have significant updates take effect January 1, 2023, the same day Virginia’s new privacy law will kick in; Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah also have privacy laws that will go into effect in 2023.
“Privacy legislation is happening in places where many people aren’t paying attention–individual states.”
-Julia Angwin & Cecilia Kang, technology reporters
IAPP Global Privacy Summit 2022
Companies doing business across multiple jurisdictions have a complicated task to comply with all the privacy laws. Some state requirements are minute, such as exact language in a single checkbox on a page, but even these tiny mandates are coupled with significant penalties if a company gets it wrong.
Business owners don’t want to spend time thinking about how to comply with each law. They have a business to run! Some business owners just want to ask someone to tell them what the law says and then they’ll write a policy. But who will simplify it for them, they wonder as they stare into the void.
“I’ve never had the luxury of building the plane on the ground,” Frank Cona stated at the IAPP Global Privacy Summit 2022. He said that businesses have no choice but to build their figurative privacy program in the air, troubleshooting as they go.
Legal automation technology saves the day!
Automation is the future in many areas of business, including access to the law. Legal technology allows businesses to access comprehensive and affordable policies, contracts and documents that will scale with the business as it grows and stay up-to-date as laws inevitably change.
SixFifty has created a comprehensive new solution that enables privacy compliance in US jurisdictions. US Privacy helps businesses navigate privacy laws in any state. The tool includes compliance with privacy laws in California, Virginia, and Colorado, with Utah, and Connecticut being added soon. And it will also include updates to new states as they pass privacy legislation. SixFifty’s US Privacy tool is customized to your business as if in-house counsel were to draft it for you. But unlike a static policy, our tool is dynamic and current; it will enable you to keep your documents up-to-date through growth and change.
US Privacy is a single solution that gives businesses the privacy keys to the whole United States. With this package, businesses are one step ahead of the state-by-state privacy whack-a-mole game. SixFifty is continuously monitoring this dynamic area of the law and updating tools with changes in real time. Working with SixFifty is like having the best privacy lawyer in the world by your side.
If you are ready to get started or have any questions, schedule a demo with SixFifty today!
