International Protection of Consumer Data

46 Pages Posted: 7 Jul 2020

See all articles by Yongmin Chen

Yongmin Chen

University of Colorado at Boulder - Department of Economics

Xinyu Hua

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Keith E. Maskus

University of Colorado at Boulder - Department of Economics; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: 2020

Abstract

We study the international protection of consumer data in a model where data usage benefits firms at the expense of their customers. We show that a multinational firm does not balance this trade-off efficiently if its data usage lacks (full) transparency or if consumers’ privacy preference differs across countries. Unilateral data regulation by each country addresses the moral-hazard problem associated with opacity, but may nevertheless reduce global welfare due to cross-country externalities that distort output and data usage. The regulations may also cause excessive investment in data localization, even though localization mitigates the externalities. Our findings highlight the need for international coordination. though not necessarily uniformity. on regulations about data usage and protection.

JEL Classification: L150, L860, F120

Suggested Citation

Chen, Yongmin and Hua, Xinyu and Maskus, Keith E., International Protection of Consumer Data (2020). CESifo Working Paper No. 8391, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3642389 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3642389

Yongmin Chen (Contact Author)

University of Colorado at Boulder - Department of Economics ( email )

Campus Box 256
Boulder, CO 80309-0256
United States
303-492-8736 (Phone)
303-492-8960 (Fax)

Xinyu Hua

affiliation not provided to SSRN

No Address Available

Keith E. Maskus

University of Colorado at Boulder - Department of Economics ( email )

Campus Box 256
Boulder, CO 80309
United States
303-492-7588 (Phone)
303-492-8960 (Fax)

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

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