Privacy Regulations, Standards, & Frameworks
California Consumer Privacy Act/California Privacy Rights Act ("CCPA/CPRA")
This is the most comprehensive US state privacy law, granting California consumers strong rights, including opting out of the sale or sharing of their data. It introduced protections for Sensitive Personal Information and is enforced by the dedicated CPPA. Compliance requires specific notice requirements and robust procedures for handling consumer requests.
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA")
COPPA is a federal law protecting the privacy of children under 13 online. It mandates that commercial operators obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal information from children. Compliance requires specific notice policies and robust age-gating mechanisms to avoid severe FTC penalties.
Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act ("CAIA")
This state law regulates the developers and deployers of high-risk AI systems to prevent algorithmic discrimination. It mandates impact assessments and robust transparency requirements, including consumer disclosures on AI use. Consumers are granted the right to correct or opt-out of high-risk profiling decisions.
General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR")
This EU law is the global benchmark for data privacy, granting residents strong rights like erasure and data portability. It requires rigorous accountability, including mandatory DPIAs for high-risk processing. Non-compliance results in severe financial penalties and has broad extraterritorial reach.
Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act ("HIPAA")
This U.S. federal law protects Protected Health Information (PHI) handled by healthcare entities and their business associates. The Privacy Rule dictates when and how PHI can be used, while the Security Rule mandates safeguards for electronic PHI. Compliance requires strict risk assessments, security controls, and specific breach notification protocols.
ISO Privacy Frameworks
ISO/IEC 27701 is the standard establishing a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS), providing auditable requirements for managing Personally Identifiable Information (PII). It often functions as an extension of the ISO 27001 Information Security Management System, integrating privacy controls into existing security structures. Achieving certification demonstrates a globally recognized, robust commitment to accountability for both PII Controllers and Processors.
ISO/IEC 29100 is the foundational standard that defines the conceptual framework and principles for protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII). It outlines 11 internationally recognized privacy principles, including consent, data minimization, and accountability, intended to guide privacy policy development. This framework provides the essential terminology and high-level concepts used as a reference point for more detailed privacy management standards like ISO/IEC 27701.
Gramm-Leach-Biley Act ("GLBA")
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act is critical federal legislation for the U.S. financial sector, composed of the Financial Privacy Rule and the Safeguards Rule. The Privacy Rule mandates that covered financial institutions—a definition that broadly includes banks, credit unions, and non-traditional entities like tax preparers, payday lenders, and even certain universities handling student loans—must provide clear, accessible notices to their customers detailing how their Nonpublic Personal Information (NPI) is collected, used, and shared, and must provide a reasonable opt-out mechanism for the sharing of this data with non-affiliated third parties. The Safeguards Rule requires institutions to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive information security program with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards; recent revisions have made these requirements more specific, mandating formal, written risk assessments, encryption for sensitive data, multi-factor authentication for remote access, and a fully documented incident response plan.
European Union Artificial Intelligence Act ("EU AI Act")
The EU AI Act is the world's first comprehensive legal framework on Artificial Intelligence, establishing a risk-based approach to regulating AI systems used or deployed within the European Union. Its primary goal is to ensure that AI systems are safe, transparent, non-discriminatory, and respect fundamental rights and values. The Act creates a clear classification system: systems posing an unacceptable risk (like social scoring or certain manipulative techniques) are banned outright; high-risk systems (such as those used in critical infrastructure, recruitment, or law enforcement) face stringent requirements, including mandatory risk management, human oversight, data governance, and conformity assessments; and finally, general-purpose AI (like large language models) and limited-risk systems are subject to specific, lighter transparency obligations, such as disclosing that content is AI-generated. The framework also extends its reach extraterritorially, impacting global providers whose AI outputs are used within the EU market.
Management of Individuals' Nueral Data Act of 2025 ("MIND Act") - Proposed U.S. Legislation
The proposed MIND Act signals a future federal effort to regulate data from consumer neurotech devices. It mandates the FTC to study and develop a comprehensive framework for protecting neural data. This signals the future requirement for firms to establish new safeguards and consent standards for this sensitive data type.
Nebraska Data Privacy Act ("NDPA")
The Nebraska Data Privacy Act grants residents rights to confirm, correct, and delete their data, enforced solely by the Attorney General. It requires companies to perform Data Protection Assessments for high-risk processing activities. The law is notable for its unique applicability thresholds and a permanent right to cure violations.
NIST AI Risk Management Framework
This voluntary federal framework guides organizations in improving the trustworthiness of their AI systems. It uses four core functions (Govern, Map, Measure, Manage) to systematically address risks like bias and privacy throughout the AI lifecycle. Alignment with the RMF demonstrates a commitment to ethical and responsible AI development.
NIST Privacy Framework
This voluntary tool helps organizations systematically manage privacy risks across all sectors and jurisdictions. Its core is five functions (Identify-P, Govern-P, Control-P, Communicate-P, Protect-P) used to address risks to individuals. The framework encourages the development of customized Profiles to align privacy activities with business objectives and risk tolerance.
OECD Neurotechnology Toolkit
This is the first international soft-law standard advising governments and innovators on managing the ethical challenges of neurotechnologies. It establishes core principles like Stewardship and Mental Privacy for handling neural data. The guidance aims to balance innovation with safeguarding fundamental human rights and autonomy.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard ("PCI DSS")
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is not a government regulation but a mandatory security framework established by the major card brands to protect the entire payments ecosystem and reduce card fraud. Compliance is required for any entity, regardless of size or transaction volume, that handles Cardholder Data (CHD), which includes the Primary Account Number (PAN), cardholder name, and expiration date. The standard is built around 12 core requirements, which include installing network security controls (like firewalls), protecting stored and transmitted CHD with encryption, implementing a robust vulnerability management program, and instituting strong access control measures based on the "need-to-know" principle.
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA")
This Canadian federal law governs the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information in commercial activities. It requires organizations to adhere to ten Fair Information Principles based on accountability and transparency. Compliance hinges on obtaining valid and meaningful consent from individuals for data processing.
Personal Information Protection Law ("PIPL") - China
China’s PIPL is a strict, comprehensive privacy law governing personal information processing within and outside its borders. It imposes rigorous requirements for data transfer and mandates separate, explicit consent for sensitive data. Compliance is mandatory for firms handling Chinese citizen data and requires specific cross-border regulatory approvals.
United States: Other US States Privacy Laws
The United States currently operates under a fragmented patchwork of state-level regulations, with nearly half of the states now enforcing comprehensive privacy statutes (e.g., state privacy laws of California, Virginia, and Utah). While each law has unique nuances, they generally grant consumers fundamental rights to access, correct, delete, and port their personal information while requiring businesses to provide clear transparency through privacy notices.
Many of these laws now mandate the recognition of universal opt-out signals like the Global Privacy Control ("GPC") to simplify consumer choices. Furthermore, a growing number of states now require formal data protection impact assessments ("DPIAs") for "high-risk" activities, including targeted advertising and the processing of sensitive or biometric data.
Compliance is no longer determined by where your business is headquartered, but rather by where your customers reside, meaning even a small firm may be subject to multiple state jurisdictions. GRC Privacy Solutions helps you navigate this evolving landscape by implementing a "highest-common-denominator" framework that ensures multi-state compliance and builds long-term consumer trust.