2021 proved to be a momentous year for privacy and data security law. The scourge of ransomware continued last year, leading to record-setting ransomware payments, a muscular response from the federal government, a hardening insurance market, and significant corporate anxiety. Two more U.S. states passed comprehensive data privacy laws in 2021. The FTC was very active, issuing new guidance for artificial intelligence (AI), publishing revisions to the GLBA Safeguards Rule, and bringing new enforcement actions. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a number of opinions that had the effect of narrowing the scope of key privacy statutes while biometric litigation in Illinois exploded. The European Commission promulgated new rules for cross-border transfers, and U.S. state regulatory enforcement activities ramped up.
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Government Accountability Office Recommends Comprehensive Privacy Legislation
The Equifax and Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandals, coupled with the proliferation of state privacy and security laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)—as well as proposed laws in Washington and Massachusetts—have increased demand for a comprehensive national privacy law. Last week, the Senate announced plans to hold hearings to discuss a proposed privacy law. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just released its report recommending that Congress develop comprehensive privacy legislation to enhance consumer protections.
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