Dealing with Data Privacy Protection: An Issue for the 21st Century

Abstract

In many surveys, Americans identify invasion of privacy as a primary concern. Nonetheless, newer electronic technologies, such as biometric monitoring, Web site tracking, vehicle tracking, basket-level purchase tracking, charge card usage recording, personal information database sales, release of government data to private corporations, facial identification, DNA testing and record keeping, smart card usage, telephone records, e-mail monitoring, and the like, intrude themselves into our private lives on an ever-expanding basis. It seems that every company and every governmental agency has an interest in knowing what we do, what we like and dislike, what we read, how long we sustain interest in something, which stores we frequent, and what we ignore. the European Union (EU) and other countries outside the EU are taking an approach to privacy that companies with an international presence must address to maintain compliance with that approach.