Data Privacy Compliance - Global Standards and Legislations

The availability and large-scale use of sensitive data like personal identifiers, healthcare records, financial data etc., has given rise to serious concerns regarding privacy of individuals. The recent proliferation of AI systems has aggravated this issue manifold. Some existing standards have been enhanced, and new standards have been published, that suggest specific controls for the protection of data privacy. Besides, several countries have enacted laws and regulations to control the collection and usage of sensitive and private data. In this article, we analyze some of the important privacy standards and regulations.

Privacy Standards

Privacy standards contain rules and best practices that prescribe how personal data should be collected, used, stored, and shared in the digital world. They aim to establish baseline protections for individuals’ privacy, ensuring that organizations treat personal data responsibly and ethically. Some of the popular data privacy standards are as follows:

• ISO/IEC 27001: This standard specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving the Information Security Management System (ISMS) within an organization. The latest version of the standard (published in 2022) has been enhanced to address privacy protection, in addition to cybersecurity issues. It includes requirements for the assessment and treatment of security and privacy risks tailored to the needs of the organization. This standard can be used by organizations for certification and audit purposes.

  
  

• ISO/IEC 27002: This provides a set of information security and privacy controls, including their implementation guidance. It can be used as a reference for determining and implementing controls for risk treatment in an ISMS based on ISO/IEC 27001.

  
  

• ISO/IEC 29100: This standard provides a high-level framework for the protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) within information and communication technology (ICT) systems. It is generic in nature and places organizational, technical, and procedural aspects in an overall privacy framework.  It specifies a common privacy terminology; defines the actors and their roles in processing PII; describes privacy safeguarding considerations; and provides references to known privacy principles for information technology.

  
  

• ISO/IEC 27018: This document contains controls and guidelines for implementing measures to protect PII as per the privacy principles defined in ISO/IEC 29100 for the public cloud computing environment. The standard is based on ISO/IEC 27002 and considers the regulatory requirements for the protection of PII which can be applicable within the context of the information security risk environment(s) of a provider of public cloud services.

  
  

• ISO/IEC 27701: This standard specifies the requirements of, and provides guidance for, establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). It focuses on the collection, processing, and protection of PII, helping organizations meet their obligations under various privacy laws. The standard is an extension to ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002, and specifies both privacy requirements as well as controls. It can be used by organizations for certification and audit purposes.

  
  

• NIST Privacy Framework: This is a set of comprehensive guidelines and best practices designed for organizations to manage privacy risks and protect the personal information of individuals. It comprises of three parts, namely Core, Profiles, and Implementation Tiers, which can be used by organizations to build customers’ trust and meet compliance obligations. This framework is a voluntary tool for organizations and is not intended for certification purposes.

  
  

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: This standard provides a catalogue of security and privacy controls to protect organizational operations and assets, individuals, and the Nation from a diverse set of threats. The controls address security and privacy from a functionality perspective (i.e., the strength of functions and mechanisms provided by the controls) and from an assurance perspective (i.e., the measure of confidence in the security or privacy capability provided by the controls).

  
  

Privacy Laws and Regulations

Several nations have formulated and implemented privacy laws and regulations. Compliance with these laws is essential for organizations to mitigate privacy risks and carry out their business operations in relevant territories. Some of the important privacy regulations are as follows:

• India’s DPDP Act: The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 was passed by the Parliament of India and came into effect on August 11, 2023. It is focused on protecting digital personal data and balancing lawful processing. It applies to the processing of data in India, whether collected online or offline; it also applies to the processing of data outside of India if it involves providing goods or services to people in India. The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 have been drafted to provide for necessary details and implementation framework of the DPDP Act. These rules are currently being discussed and debated in various forums and are expected to be finalized and implemented soon.

  
  

• EU’s GDPR: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive framework established by the European Union (EU) to protect the personal data and privacy of individuals within the EU. It establishes strict governance, risk management, and transparency requirements. The GDPR was adopted in 2016 and became applicable across the EU on May 25, 2018.

  
  

• USA’s CCPA: The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides consumers in California greater control over their personal data. It applies to businesses that collect, use, or share personal information of California residents. Consumers have the right to know what personal information a business collects, uses, and shares; they have the right to request that a business delete their personal information; and they have the right to opt-out of the sale of their personal information. The CCPA was signed into law in June 2018 and went into effect on January 1, 2020.

  
  

• USA’s HIPAA: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensures the privacy and security of healthcare information. It applies to covered entities, such as healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. HIPAA was introduced and signed into law on August 21, 1996.

  
  

• Canada’s PIPEDA: The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) regulates the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by private sector organizations in Canada. PIPEDA was signed into law on April 13, 2000.

  
  

• South Africa’s POPIA: The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) specifies conditions for the lawful processing of personal information in South Africa. It was passed in 2013 and came into effect on July 1, 2020.

  
  

• China’s PIPL: The Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) aims to protect personal information rights and interests, regulate the processing of personal information, and promote the reasonable use of personal information. It went into effect on November 1, 2021.

  
  

How Sujosu Technology Can Help

Sujosu Technology helps organizations design and implement systems that prioritize data privacy and compliance. Our services include:

• Risk Assessments: Identifying privacy requirements and vulnerabilities in applications and infrastructure.

• Countermeasures and Solutions: Providing tailored strategies to prevent, detect, and recover from potential attacks.

• Compliance Documentation: Helping you comply with the requirements of specific standards and regulations by compiling policies, procedures, and other relevant manuals.

• Training and Awareness: Equipping your team with the knowledge to address privacy challenges effectively.

  
  

With Sujosu Technology’s expertise, your organization can build systems that are secure and resilient against privacy breaches. We can also help you achieve compliance with relevant privacy standards and legislations.

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