The US status of privacy

Customers are largely unaware of the data economy that supports everyday products and services. Their data is shared with a greater number of third parties, which not only increases the number of businesses that may make money from it but also increases the likelihood that their data can be breached or leaked in a way that results in actual harm. Just this past year, a news organization exposed a priest using pseudonymous app data that was purportedly leaked from an advertiser connected to the dating app Grindr. According to another report, the US government purchased location information from a prayer app. Apps for treating opioid addiction have been identified by researchers to share sensitive information. Additionally, a recent data breach at T-Mobile affected at least 40 million customers, some of whom had no prior connection to the company.

Consumer data privacy regulations can give people power over their data, but if they’re executed poorly...