Occasional Paper no 1 (new series)
Data Protection and Rights to Privacy in the United States: A Limited State Level View
Emmanuel Matambo and SIzo Nkala
This study examines legislation governing data collection and privacy in the United States. Data is a strategic asset that is crucial for US sovereignty and competitiveness. Therefore, it is not surprising that America treats the cyber space as the domain of its sovereignty. The first section analyses legislation governing data at the federal level. The second section examines cross-border data flow, as well as some international regulations. The third section will examine how data privacy is governed at the state level. The states chosen are California, Virginia and Colorado. The fourth section will provide a political explanation of the premises on which American legislation on data collection and sovereignty is founded. A short conclusion follows.
