DATA PROTECTION LAWS: QUILTS VERSUS BLANKETS

This note will explore whether the European Union's privacy laws could serve as a model for the US. Currently, the US' data protection laws can be seen as a patchwork system of laws coming from the state and federal levels, in addition to regulations imposed by various agencies. In contrast, the European Union's 1995 Directive on Data Protection mandates that every member of the EU pass laws on the national level that will protect their citizens' privacy. While the EU Model is vast and widespread, it also allows for some variation by permitting member states to craft their own laws. This note will investigate how the US should take a more comprehensive approach in regulating online privacy law and protecting its citizen's legal rights to protect their personal data. The patchwork quilt of privacy laws that separately limit the use of Americans' information online should give way to a more European-like model of a blanket regulatory system.