‘European’ Data Privacy Standards Implemented in Laws Outside Europe

Abstract

The implementation of 'European' (2nd generation) data privacy principles in laws outside Europe continues to be substantial, including in high-GDP countries. This article updates my 2012 study by examining, 5 years later, the data privacy laws of the 20 highest GDP countries outside Europe that have such laws.

The result is that these 'significant' countries implement, on average, 5.95 of the 10 distinctive 'European' privacy principles (those going beyond the 1980's OECD standard). Bills in some of these countries, when enacted, will make the average closer to 6.5.

The article argues that the current global standard for data privacy laws is closer to the EU Directive's standards than those of the OECD.

Keywords: privacy, data protection, EU data protection Directive, Council of Europe Convention 108, GDP