The protection of personal data has become a central issue in the global legal and technological landscape. With the increasing digitalization of the economy and the cross-border flow of data, harmonizing legislation and recognizing equivalent levels of data protection between countries are fundamental steps to ensure legal certainty and the smooth operation of international commerce.

California's new privacy law is now in effect, allowing state residents to take better control of the data that's collected on them -- from social networks, banks, credit agencies and more.