Privacy
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As every sector of the global economy and nearly every facet of modern society undergo digital transformation, ITIF advocates for policies that spur not just the development of IT innovations, but more importantly their adoption and use throughout the economy. ITIF's work focuses on protecting people’s privacy and safeguarding personal information without stifling the innovation and commerce needed to drive a robust Internet ecosystem.
Vice President and Director, Center for Data Innovation
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
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Featured
How to Improve the American Privacy Rights Act
America desperately needs a federal privacy law—but it needs the right federal privacy law. In its current state, APRA is not that law. But with a few important changes, it could be.
Maintaining a Light-Touch Approach to Data Protection in the United States
Data privacy regulations impose significant costs on businesses and the economy. Effective, targeted federal legislation would address actual privacy harms while reducing costs that hinder productivity and innovation.
The Looming Cost of a Patchwork of State Privacy Laws
In the absence of a federal privacy law, a growing patchwork of state laws burdens companies with multiple, duplicative compliance costs. The out-of-state costs from 50 such laws could exceed $1 trillion over 10 years, with at least $200 billion hitting small businesses.
More Publications and Events
November 12, 2025|Presentations
To Bot or Not to Bot
Alex Ambrose speaks about navigating the risks and rewards of AI in marketing at Kids Industry Connect: A Children's Advertising and Privacy Summit, hosted by BBB National Programs.
October 10, 2025|Blogs
New Research Shows How Strict Data Regulations Undercut Biopharmaceutical R&D
Strict data privacy laws like the GDPR have significantly reduced biopharmaceutical R&D investment—especially among smaller firms—highlighting the need for U.S. policymakers to reform HIPAA, pass innovation-friendly federal privacy legislation, and invest in privacy-enhancing technologies to protect both privacy and progress in medical research.
October 6, 2025|Blogs
Three Fixes to Improve the UK’s Online Safety Act
The UK Online Safety Act aims to protect children online but its vague rules and strict enforcement have led to over-censorship, threatening legitimate communities, and Parliament should clarify content definitions, allow remediation periods, and require judicial review to fix these issues.
October 6, 2025|Blogs
Banning Teens from Social Media Isn’t Protection, It’s Overreach
Rather than blanket social media bans, policymakers should adopt privacy-preserving tools that empower parents and teens to manage online safety directly.
September 19, 2025|Blogs
European Consumers Are Right to Complain About the DMA
European consumers report a decline in online experiences since the Digital Markets Act took effect, as regulatory restrictions on platform integration and data use have reduced functionality, slowed searches, and fragmented services across maps, travel, jobs, and more.
September 17, 2025|Presentations
Global Challenges of Digital Regulation
Lilla Nóra Kiss speaks on a global panel at Comenius University.
September 17, 2025|Presentations
XR Community Discussion: Privacy and Accessibility
Alex Ambrose presents at a webinar co-hosted by XR Access and XRA.
September 15, 2025|Testimonies & Filings
Comments to the US Justice Department Regarding State Laws Adversely Affecting the Economy or Interstate Commerce
There are many technology policy issues where states have created a patchwork of regulation that impose duplicative costs on businesses, cause confusion for consumers, and act as a drain on the U.S. economy. In order to address these issues, federal preemption would streamline regulation and decrease costs and confusion.
September 3, 2025|Blogs
The UK’s Online Safety Act’s Predictable Consequences Are a Cautionary Tale for America
Rather than following the UK’s lead on children’s online safety, U.S. policymakers should learn from their mistakes and chart a better path that skillfully preserves user privacy, limits collateral damage, and removes the incentives for online services to over-remove lawful content.
August 22, 2025|Blogs
Why the Airbus Model Won’t Work for European Digital Policy
Europe’s pursuit of digital sovereignty rests on a flawed premise: that competing with the United States, rather than China, should be the central priority. To advance this goal, Brussels has embraced the so-called “Airbus model”—the belief that the government-led coordination that created an aerospace champion can be replicated to achieve dominance in semiconductors, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI). The idea is seductive and gaining traction, but the analogy is unproven and misguided.
