• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Privacy for America

Privacy for America

Furthering Accountability and Responsible Data Practices.

  • Home
  • About
  • Overview
  • Newsroom
    • Blog
    • News
    • Press Releases
  • Contact
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

New Data Protections for The New Normal

May 11, 2021

How the pandemic response underscores the need for new privacy laws that meet post-COVID demands

In March 2020, no one could have predicted just how much the COVID-19 pandemic was going to affect American society. Stay-at-home orders and business closures completely changed the way Americans conduct nearly every daily activity. The internet became a saving grace for many. Millions of employees were able to work from home, students could continue classes with online learning, patients were able to see doctors using telehealth, friends and family were able to gather remotely, and customers were able to access essential goods and services online. While 2020 was a challenging year for the world, the internet enabled some sense of continuity amidst widespread uncertainty.

And the numbers are clear on just how much Americans and small businesses relied on the internet in 2020: According to OpenVault, average monthly household bandwidth usage in 2020 was up 40 percent from 2019. This increase in online activity accelerated digital trends, such as e-commerce and telehealth:

  • Overall increased consumer digital activity: A study by McKinsey found a 24 percentage point increase from 2019 to 2020 in digital consumer interactions.
  • E-commerce and targeted ads enabled business stability: Deloitte reported a 44 percent uptick in use of targeted advertising on social media among small to medium businesses (SMBs) in the US since the pandemic began. SMBs that used targeted advertising were twice as likely to report higher revenues.
  • Accelerated shift from in-person to online services, such as telehealth: According to researchers in Health Affairs, in the first few months of the pandemic, more than 30% of health visits were provided via telehealth, and the weekly number of telehealth visits increased twenty-three-fold compared with pre-COVID-19.

These new online trends are unlikely to go away anytime soon, as the pandemic has established a “new normal” for many Americans and small businesses. For example, a recent McKinsey survey found that 65 percent of consumers across 13 countries, including the US, intend to continue to explore new ways of shopping after the pandemic, specifically shifting even more towards online retail. Even as the COVID-19 vaccine has become widely available and states are beginning to reopen, pandemic life continues to digitize so much of how we work, play and connect. And businesses need to be able to keep up with these shifting consumer demands.

This new reality underscores the urgency of protecting consumers’ online privacy with a clear, broad-based federal privacy law. All consumers deserve protection of personal data as they increasingly rely on the internet for more daily activities. At the same time, establishing national rules that facilitate the responsible use of data is crucial to maintaining business growth and creating a vibrant internet ecosystem that allows consumers and small businesses alike to benefit in a digital society.

Privacy for America has outlined a new paradigm for a national law that would better protect personal data by formally outlawing harmful data practices. Under the current “notice and choice” approach, the burden falls nearly entirely on consumers who are asked to read and understand lengthy and complex privacy policies. Instead, we are proposing a new federal law that would provide, for the first time, broad-based privacy rules for the entire U.S. marketplace and ensure consumers are protected – no matter where they live. Under our proposal, companies would adhere to well-defined policies that distinguish between legal data practices that benefit consumers and illegal ones that are harmful or make their personal information vulnerable.

As we inch closer towards a post-pandemic world, it’s clear that this new, online behavior of consumers is here to stay. Congress needs to act quickly to pass a federal privacy law now that would provide real protections to all consumers and enable small businesses to thrive in an increasingly digital world. We can’t wait any longer.

Blog

Footer

Contact Privacy for America

To get in touch, please contact us.

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

About Privacy for America

Learn more about us.

Read our privacy policy.

View our sitemap.

© 2023 Privacy for America. All rights reserved. Site By Prairie Marketing Inc.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT