The Pending European ePrivacy Regulation

What the new legislation means for U.S. companies

The phrase "it's a marathon, not a sprint" is applicable to the world of data privacy regulatory compliance these days. Last year, companies located inside and outside the European Union scrambled to comply with the European Union's far-reaching General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – which governs the processing of personal data – before the law became effective on May 25, 2018. The compliance effort is far from over, however. Companies must now devote resources to monitor the development of a new privacy law pending in the European Union: the ePrivacy Regulation (the "ePR"). Many U.S. companies impacted by the extensive compliance requirements under GDPR will be similarly impacted by the equally broad mandates of the proposed ePR.