The “Neural Data” Goldilocks Problem: Defining “Neural Data” in U.S. State Privacy Laws
Co-authored by Chris Victory, FPF Intern As of halfway through 2025, four U.S. states have enacted laws regarding “neural data” or “neurotechnology data.” These laws, all of which amend existing state privacy laws, signify growing lawmaker interest in regulating what’s being considered a distinct, particularly sensitive kind of data: information about people’s thoughts, feelings, and […]
The Connecticut Data Privacy Act Gets an Overhaul (Again)
Co-Authored by Gia Kim, FPF U.S. Policy Intern On June 25, Governor Ned Lamont signed SB 1295, amending the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA). True to its namesake as the “Land of Steady Habits,” Connecticut is developing the habit of amending the CTDPA. Connecticut has long been ahead of the curve, especially when it comes […]
Brazil’s ANPD Preliminary Study on Generative AI highlights the dual nature of data protection law: balancing rights with technological innovation
Brazil’s Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados (“ANPD”) Technology and Research Unit (“CGTP”) released the preliminary study Inteligência Artificial Generativa (“Preliminary Study on GenAI”, in Portuguese) as part of its Technological Radar series, on November 29, 2024. A short English version of the study was also released by the agency in December 2024. This analysis […]
Vermont and Nebraska: Diverging Experiments in State Age-Appropriate Design Codes
In May 2025, Nebraska and Vermont passed Age-Appropriate Design Code Acts (AADCs), continuing the bipartisan trend of states advancing protections for youth online. While these new bills arrived within the same week and share both a common name and general purpose, their scope, applicability, and substance take two very different approaches to a common goal: […]
Amendments to the Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act Bring Big Changes to Big Sky Country
On May 8, Montana Governor Gianforte signed SB 297, amending the Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act (MCDPA). This amendment was sponsored by Senator Zolnikov, who also championed the underlying law’s enactment in 2023. Much has changed in the state privacy law landscape since the MCDPA was first enacted, and SB 297 incorporates elements of further […]
The Curse of Dimensionality: De-identification Challenges in the Sharing of Highly Dimensional Datasets
The 2006 release by AOL of search queries linked to individual users and the re-identification of some of those users is one of the best known privacy disasters in internet history. Less well known is that AOL had released the data to meet intense demand from academic researchers who saw this valuable data set as essential […]
Minding Mindful Machines: AI Agents and Data Protection Considerations
Thank you for the contributions of Rob van Eijk, Marlene Smith, and Katy Wills We are now in 2025, the year of AI agents. In the last few weeks, leading large language model (LLM) developers (including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic) have released early versions of technologies described as “AI agents.” Unlike earlier automated systems and even […]
5 Ways to Be a Top Dog in Data Privacy
Data Privacy Day, or Data Protection Day in Europe, is recognized annually on January 28 to mark the anniversary of Convention 108, the first binding international treaty to protect personal data. To raise awareness for the day and promote best practices for data privacy, we’ve partnered with Snap to create a Data Privacy Day Snapchat […]
What to Expect in Global Privacy in 2025
Next year, in 2026, we will celebrate a decade after the adoption of the GDPR, a law with an unprecedented regulatory impact around the world, from California to Brazil, across the African continent, to India, to China, and everywhere in between. The field of data protection and privacy has become undeniably global, with GDPR-inspired laws […]
Twelve Privacy Investments for Your Company for a Stronger 2025
FPF has put together a list of Twelve Privacy Investments for Your Company for a Stronger 2025 that reflects on new perspectives on the work that privacy teams do at their organizations. We hope there is something here that’s useful where you work, and we’d love to hear other ideas and feedback. Privacy Investments for Your […]