Online Personal Data Protection Laws

Personal data, also known as personal information or personally identifiable information (PII), is any information related to an identifiable person.

Federal laws and regulations include those that apply to financial institutions, telecommunications companies, credit reporting agencies and healthcare providers, as well as driving records, childrens online privacy, telemarketing, email marketing, biometrics, and communications privacy laws.

Data privacy laws are multiplying as concerns grow over data protection. Read about existing laws and learn about new rules going into effect in 2026. Read on to find out what those are and what the future holds for your online data. Unlike Europes single GDPR framework, American businesses must comply with a patchwork of federal and state data protection laws. There is currently no all-encompassing federal data privacy legislation, so organisations must rely on state laws to fill the gaps in privacy protection. Show more This article focuses on data privacy laws and protections at the federal level. State law might provide some additional protections, depending on where you live and who collects your data. Is your internet privacy in the USA at stake? This article explains how and which federal and state laws ensure online privacy for Americans. EPIC provides this resource on U.S. privacy laws for students, attorneys, and policymakers interested in privacy law in the United States. MISC.

This article focuses on data privacy laws and protections at the federal level. State law might provide some additional protections, depending on where you live and who collects your data.

Personal data Personal data is any information that relates to an individual who can be directly or indirectly identified. Names and email addresses are obviously personal data.