Most of us rely on the Internet daily for work, social media, bill payments, and more. Nevertheless, digital privacy is vital to us all. Risks to the personal data we share online are numerous, and even the stoutest cybersecurity measures can’t eliminate them all.
Federal and state laws exist that help to protect us against unscrupulous third-party data brokers, limit the ways in which third parties can share our information, and give us more control over the protection of our personal information. Digital privacy trends continue to evolve and make our digital lives safer, and experts believe we’re headed in the right direction.
However, as more websites and applications require our personal details and the implementation of AI takes a central role in every market, it’s important to understand how digital privacy rights will continue to evolve. Let’s take a look.
What is digital privacy?
Digital privacy refers to your right to control and protect your personal information online. Privacy rights include determining how your data is collected, shared, and used, keeping your sensitive details confidential, and managing your online footprint.
Throughout the years, digital privacy trends have included new regulations like the 2019 California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) which influenced other states to enact similar measures, and the widespread use of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks).
The history of digital privacy
In the dawn of the digital age, cybersecurity protocols were created to combat viruses and malware, but personal privacy was rarely even considered “at risk.” Through the rise of online advertising, search engines like Google, and the birth of social media platforms, personal data was collected to target audiences and data-driven algorithms controlled what ads and posts you might see while online.
The Wild West of new technology and optimization of the Internet left digital privacy in the dust. In the 2010s, lawmakers began to consider how to regulate the sharing of personal data and how to strengthen consumer protections.
The first true digital privacy legislation came with the European Union’s 2018 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which strengthens consumer rights and requires companies to document the purposes behind their data collection, where they store it, how it’s protected, and how and why this information is shared.
Where digital privacy stands in 2025
The greatest concerns about digital privacy in 2025 center around AI governance and ethical data collection practices. Although many federal and state regulations surrounding digital privacy have gone into effect over the past few years, AI regulation is still continually debated.
At the federal level, AI digital privacy requirements have yet to be legislated, and new digital privacy laws have not been enacted. However, many states continue to follow digital privacy trends and pass legislation — Delaware is the latest to do so, with the Delaware Personal Privacy Act going into effect on January 1st, 2025. Thus far, 19 states have enacted digital privacy laws.
If you’ve ever had a popup on a website asking you to reject or accept tracking cookies, or detailing their data collection policies, this is the result of a digital privacy law.
What experts say about the future of digital privacy
The change in U.S. administration could impact the future of digital privacy. In 2023, President Biden signed Executive Order 14110, an executive order that called for the “Safe, Secure, Trustworthy Development and Use of AI.” However, President Trump rescinded this order shortly after taking office.
Nevertheless, experts believe that digital privacy and AI regulations will be addressed on the federal level in the near future.
Expert privacy opinions on the future of both global and national digital privacy trends also predict a focus on the following:
- AI Privacy Restrictions: The new Federal Trade Commissioner, Andrew Ferguson, is expected to roll back the FTC’s policing of AI. However, AI regulations are still a hotbed of discussion. Expert privacy opinions indicate that AI data collection practices might still face future regulations, especially on the state level. Colorado recently began to implement a state AI Act, and other states may soon follow suit.
- Increased Healthcare Privacy: States are expected to enact more digital privacy laws to protect consumer healthcare data. For example, Washington recently passed the state law, My Health My Data Act.
- Kid’s Privacy: The Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act 2.0 were introduced in the 2024 U.S. congressional session, and experts expect both to gain momentum and bipartisan support.
- New Technologies: As new technologies emerge, experts believe many will be geared toward helping to increase digital privacy protections. With tools such as VPNs and Privacy Scans already available, consumers should anticipate new ways to protect their digital privacy.
- Regulation of Data Brokers: In 2024, the regulation of data brokers became both a personal and national security concern. The debate over TikTok and the platform’s data collection rose to regulatory heights, and federally, legislators recognized the need to restrict which data brokers can collect and share personal information. In the future, more structured regulations may be passed on data broker activity. Recently, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton targeted over 100 data brokers that were not in compliance with state law.
In late 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) created a rule, Protecting Americans From Harmful Data Broker Practices, that awaits administrative approval.
How to protect your digital privacy
Although you can’t control the laws and regulations that protect digital privacy, you can take steps that will help you protect your personal information online. Here are some simple measures you can take to increase your digital privacy:
- Avoid Public WiFi
- Change your social media and online account settings to private
- Don’t respond to private messages from strangers
- Limit the personal information you share online
- Never click on an email link from a stranger
- Regularly update your software
- Use two-factor authentication and strong passwords
- Use a VPN
- Use encrypted cloud storage
Great digital privacy tools you can use
There are many affordable (and even free) digital privacy tools that you can use to help protect your sensitive personal data online. Here are several of the best:
DeleteMe
DeleteMe is an easy-to-use, safe tool that allows you to control the personal data you share online and helps you to find and remove your personal information from search engines and databases.
DeleteMe removes your personal information from over 750 data broker databases, and responds to cybersecurity threats 24/7.
Incogni
Incogni protects your digital privacy by allowing you to remove your personal information from data brokers’ profiles, reduce spam, and prevent cybercriminals from targeting you for scam attacks. This affordable privacy tool continually updates and prevents new data broker sites from accessing your confidential information.
NordVPN
One of the most popular VPNs, NordVPN blocks targeted ads and malware, offers double VPN protection (your connection is routed through two servers), keeps your data secure and encrypted, and features a kill switch that provides extra security and prevents accidental data exposure.
Personal Data Scan
The free Personal Data Scan tool from What Is My IP Address scans over 80+ data brokers and people searches, and alerts you when your personally identifiable information (PII) appears.
Personal Data Scan helps you to control where your personal data appears online. You can use this tool in conjunction with other privacy tools to increase the protection of your personal data.
