You’d Know What to Expect Going Forward

One of the things that a federal privacy law would implement is consistency. As it stands out, corporations have a responsibility to be “good stewards” of our data. But the problem is that good stewardship isn’t set in stone. Even state laws, which could differ radically, wouldn’t guarantee this level of consistency.

With GDPR-style protections, there would be one set of practices for data transparency, the right to be forgotten, and data breach notifications. The centralized “clearinghouse” Tim Cook called for is an example of a single system where users can see all of their data in one place.

And that consistency could be a boon for consumers in many ways. For example, it’s impossible to tell what exact privacy policies or rights you’ve agreed to. A single set of regulations could make it easier to consumers to know their rights — and to make sure that they’re being respected.