While GDPR may not have had the immediate effect on EU companies that many hoped it would, it has become a pioneer in the area of data regulation. With the first year of GDPR coming to a close, ZDNet takes a look at how GDPR has and continues to pave the way for digital privacy across the globe.

GDPR was initially created to protect user’s data in the EU but the effects of the regulation have made their way overseas. As it stands, the most notable of the effects is how companies such as ones in the US are required to provide preferential treatment to EU consumers. For example, US websites are treating consumers in the UK differently in the way they handle their data. In some cases this means keeping them from visiting the full versions of their sites.

Digital Privacy Going Global

While countries such as the US are already seeing these effects, trends are showing that this is only the beginning for changes in global data privacy.

“But beyond the flood of emails asking for your explicit consent to be marketed to, or the notices you see on websites warning of the presence of third-party cookies, there is a bigger shift taking place.”

ZDNet

This “shift” is in the form of an initiative from countries around the world such as Brazil, Japan, India, South Korea, and others. Even certain states in the US such as California are creating their own regulations that largely mirrors those found in GDPR.

However, California heading a data privacy initiative is hardly a surprise following the effects that GDPR has had on Silicon Valley as a whole.

“While only a small step towards additional privacy, it’s possible that the introduction of GDPR has helped spur this change on, as companies like Google work to accommodate users becoming more aware of digital privacy.”

With the emergence of new AI. based technologies such as facial recognition, these new regulations will force companies to rethink some of their future tactics.

What this means for the Digital You

Regulations like GDPR are only the beginning of the push for digital privacy across the globe. More digital privacy equals more control that you gain over the Digital You.

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