The Economist magazine charted how different countries reacted to "Wi-Fi gate" in which Google gathered data from unsecured networks in people's homes in an article entitle Legal Confusion on Internet Privacy: The Clash of Data Civilizations. It concluded:
European regulations are inspired by the conviction that data privacy is a fundamental human right and that individuals should be in control of how their data are used. America, on the other hand, takes a more relaxed view, allowing people to use a patchwork-quilt of consumer-protection laws to seek redress if they feel their privacy has been violated. Companies that handle users’ data are largely expected to police themselves.
Perhaps a comparative analysis of Internet privacy laws around the world would be useful to inform the current debate in the United States. Of course, it might also foster cooperation between countries, which seems necessary in the cyber realm.
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