{"id":352666,"date":"2018-11-02T13:09:19","date_gmt":"2018-11-02T18:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/consumer\/online-scams\/federal-data-privacy-laws.html"},"modified":"2025-09-18T08:24:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T13:24:27","slug":"federal-data-privacy-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/online-scams\/federal-data-privacy-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"A Consumer Guide to U.S. Data Privacy Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A Consumer Guide to U.S. Data Privacy Laws<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Hannah Hilst<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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In the U.S., data <\/span>privacy laws<\/span> are a collection of federal and state regulations that protect consumers’ personal information<\/span> from misuse by businesses, organizations, and government agencies. The United States operates under a patchwork system of sector-specific laws rather than one comprehensive privacy statute, with different rules applying to health care<\/span>, financial services, children’s data, and other areas.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Consider how much data you leave behind every day as you work, shop, and scroll online. The digital world can capture every button you press, transaction you make, and message you send. It has never been easier to track someone’s activities \u2014 or violate their privacy.<\/p>\n

The United States has no broad\u00a0data privacy protection law. Instead, it has a patchwork of protected areas. Some of these laws only apply to one specific industry, while others protect certain people, such as minors under the age of 13.<\/p>\n

This article focuses on data <\/span>privacy laws<\/span> and protections at the federal level. State law<\/span> might provide\u00a0some additional protections, depending on where you live and who collects your data.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What Is Consumer Data Privacy<\/span>?<\/h2>\n

Consumer data privacy<\/span> refers to how the government, businesses, and organizations protect your personal information. By extension, consumer <\/span>data <\/span>privacy<\/span> laws<\/span> concern your rights to see and control information others have about you.<\/p>\n

What Counts As Consumers’ Personal Information<\/span>?<\/h3>\n

Virtually any piece of information about you may be personal data<\/span>. Companies and organizations often use many data points to build profiles of individual consumers. Most of this data is now digital.<\/p>\n

Examples of typical consumer data include:<\/p>\n