In the US, there is no comprehensive federal law that governs data privacy in United States. Rather, US privacy law is a complex patchwork of national and state laws and regulations that address particular issues or sectors and some more general state laws that govern the collection, storage, safeguarding, disposal, and use of personal data collected from their residents. The FTC is the primary enforcer of US national privacy laws. It has broad authority to bring enforcement actions against organizations that have violated consumers’ privacy rights under Section 5 of the FTC Act, as well as other federal laws, with the power to impose monetary penalties and to require companies to take affirmative steps remediate unlawful behavior. The FTC also reports to Congress on privacy issues and recommends the enactment of necessary privacy legislation.
