Major Global Privacy Laws

1. GDPR — General Data Protection Regulation (EU)

Violations can cost up to 4% of global annual revenue - sometimes billions.

Key rights it gives people:

• Know what data companies collect;
• Understand why the data is used;
• Request corrections;
• Request deletion ("right to be forgotten");
• Take their data somewhere else (data portability).

2. CCPA — California Consumer Privacy Act (USA)

What it gives Californians:

• The right to know what data companies collect;
• The right to opt out of data selling;
• The right to request deletion;
• The right to know who companies share data with.

It's slightly less strict than GDPR but set a huge precedent in the US.

3. LGPD — Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (Brazil)

Key Features:

• Requires clear data consent;
• Regulates data processing;
• Protects both digital and physical data;
• Holds companies legally accountable.

Brazil is a massive global market — so companies worldwide must adjust to LGPD to operate there.

4. HIPAA — Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (USA)

Covers:

• Hospitals;
• Clinics;
• Insurance companies;
• Apps that store medical information.

Protects health and medical data. A medical data leak could cause discrimination, emotional harm, or long-term privacy damage.