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.
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
June 16, 2026|Events
How to Protect Kids From Chatbots Without Bans
Join ITIF for a discussion on recently introduced chatbot safety bills up for debate in Congress, including the GUARD Act and CHATBOT Act, and what policymakers, parents, and platforms could do to protect children without bans.
May 15, 2026|Blogs
State Privacy Laws Show the SECURE Data Act’s Merits and Political Appeal
Critics say the SECURE Data Act is a unified Republican effort. Yet its core provisions mirror privacy protections passed by Democratic and Republican majorities in 21 states. So, while it would preempt state laws, it also draws heavily from those laws, reflecting a bipartisan, multistate consensus on how to protect consumers while enabling innovation.
May 12, 2026|Blogs
Canada’s Privacy Ruling on AI Training Data Sets a Bad Precedent
Canada’s privacy regulators are restricting the use of public online data for AI training, but this approach could undermine AI innovation. Canada should instead adopt a harm-based framework focused on concrete privacy risks.
April 27, 2026|Reports & Briefings
From Sovereignty to Control: A Clear-Eyed View of Canadian Cloud Policy
Canada’s cloud debate is asking the wrong question—control, not domestic ownership or server location, is what determines security and resilience in practice.
April 9, 2026|Blogs
Age Gating Won’t Fix Social Media Harms in Canada
Canada is considering banning social media for teenagers, but the evidence suggests this approach is misplaced. Harm is not driven by access alone, but by specific online experiences, and a blanket ban would do little to address them.
March 23, 2026|Blogs
AI and Kids’ Safety Need Separate Solutions, Not New Problems
The TRUMP AMERICA AI Act combines AI regulation with children’s online safety legislation in a single bill, creating overbroad, ill-suited policies that increase compliance burdens and ultimately weaken both innovation and effective protection of minors. These issues should be addressed separately with targeted approaches.
March 13, 2026|Reports & Briefings
How Rules for Publicly Available Data Are Shaping the Future of AI
To protect individuals while preserving the open information ecosystem that supports innovation, policymakers should focus on outputs rather than training inputs, encourage transparency norms for autonomous AI agents, and create a safe harbor for responsible use of publicly available data.
March 11, 2026|Events
The State of State Privacy
Watch now for an expert panel discussion examining how the rapid growth of state privacy laws is influencing the debate over federal privacy legislation.
March 2, 2026|Blogs
Ghost Student Fraud Is a Digital Identity Failure
AI-enabled “ghost student” scams are siphoning millions in federal financial aid by exploiting weak, document-based identity verification systems at U.S. colleges. While the Department of Education has tightened ID checks, Congress should establish interoperable, high-assurance digital IDs to prevent fraud at scale and ensure aid reaches real students.
February 12, 2026|Blogs
App Stores Shouldn’t Have to Parent the Internet
App store–level age verification laws pose privacy, security, and free-speech risks while leaving websites unregulated, whereas device-level, opt-in parental controls offer a more comprehensive and safer way to protect children online.
