In a sign-on letter, 28 groups are calling on some of the world’s largest companies – including Facebook, Google and Amazon, as well as digital advertisers like Nestle, Walmart and JPMorgan Chase – to use Europe’s impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regime as a baseline standard worldwide for all of their services, including in the U.S.

“Strong privacy standards should apply to everyone who uses online platforms and services no matter where they live,” the letter states. “We envision a digital economy that safeguards individual privacy, advances fairness and provides equal opportunity for all. The unfettered collection and use of personal data threatens this future.”

The GDPR places limits on the gathering and use of personal data and establishes clear responsibilities for companies that collect it, as well as clear rights for people whose data is gathered. It aims to give individuals control over their data.

“Since you will be providing these protections for hundreds of millions of people in Europe, there is no question that you are capable of applying the same protections worldwide,” the letter states. “We insist that you do.”

[pdf-embedder url=”https://media-alliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GDPR-press-release.pdf” title=”GDPR press release”]

 

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