Data driven

Time to get ready for data privacy laws and what they might mean for research

For decades, US lawmakers have tried fruitlessly to enact national laws on data privacy. Earlier this month, these efforts took a small but significant step forward with the publication of a draft of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act.

Released on 3 June, the bill is focused on preventing companies from misusing or mishandling customer data. It would give citizens greater ownership over their information and offer a legal recourse if companies didn’t handle sensitive information appropriately.