Corporate Privacy Rules: Moving Toward A Global Solution

The global economy requires the cross-border transfer of personal information. At the same time, such transfers are becoming more difficult and costly from a business perspective because more countries are adopting privacy laws that regulate, among other things, cross-border data transfers. These laws vary dramatically from country to country but typically either explicitly prohibit transfers to other countries unless certain conditions are met or impose regulatory obligations on the organizations transferring the personal information. These cross-border limitations are affecting both the quality and choice of products and services that can be offered to consumers on a global basis.

As a result, greater attention is being paid to the development and use of global or enterprise-wide privacy rules ("Corporate Privacy Rules") as a way to correct the problems faced by consumers and organizations under the current international privacy regime. The concept of Corporate Privacy Rules is