Privacy: The Problem That Won't Go AwayPrivacy: The Problem That Won't Go Away

One Privacy Approach Can't Cover All
Global business demands the sharing of data across borders--and complying with the privacy requirements of each country along the way.

David Hoffman, director of privacy and security policy for Intel, based his operation in Munich, Germany, two years ago mainly to establish policies and procedures around the "hugely variant" European privacy regs. "In the U.K. and the Czech Republic, they want you to tell them how you're processing customer data," Hoffman says. "In Spain and France, they'd like you to register each individual application, to provide details about each individual database." Hoffman says he and his staff spent a lot of time creating processes to ensure compliance with those privacy mandates, but that work is mostly finished and he'll be heading back to the United States in a few months.

To blunt criticism that its privacy laws are too lax, and to counteract the negative publicity of some recent data breaches, India is working on tightening up its regulations. Lawmakers early next year will discuss proposed amendments to India's Information Technology Act of 2000 that impose heavy fines for data security breaches, identity theft, and e-commerce fraud, according to published reports. That's good news for companies that outsource data-oriented operations to India, but they need to stay abreast of the potential impact of those changes.

As data gets more mobile and abundant, the list of privacy risks and rules will keep evolving. Some companies will take them more seriously than others and be willing to do the hard work to avoid privacy lapses and ensure the goodwill of their customers and partners. Therein lies the opportunity for companies willing to grab it.

Continue to the sidebars:
Technology To The Rescue
and
Privacy File: 10 Events That Impacted The IT Landscape
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