Happy February, folks. ✨

February brought new momentum to data privacy, with businesses and consumers alike prioritizing trust and transparency. From legislative efforts to advancing privacy-first technologies, the push for stronger data protection is reshaping the digital landscape.

Need a refresher on January’s state privacy laws? Check out our Guide to State Privacy Laws. This updated guide offers a clear, actionable breakdown of each state's data privacy law, highlighting key differences, common themes, and what’s needed to ensure compliance.

Now, let’s dive into the top news stories in February.

Here’s what you need to know from February’s data privacy news. 👇

📜 Working group formed to draft federal data privacy bill

• Republican lawmakers on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have launched a working group to develop a comprehensive federal data privacy bill. 
• The group aims to create a national privacy standard to protect consumer rights and maintain U.S. leadership in digital technology, including AI. Read more on the story here.

🔒 The Privacy Battle in Consumer Electronics: Personalization Versus Security

• The debate over privacy in consumer electronics continues to reach fever pitch levels — from smartphones to smart homes to wearables, tech companies are treading a fine and increasingly precarious line between delivering personalized experiences and safeguarding the personal data they collect. 
• As the consumer electronics market evolves, can firms respect consumers’ data privacy while pushing boundaries, or will users be forced to sacrifice security for convenience? Read more here. 

🤝 What Brands and Consumers Can Do to Build a Privacy-First Digital Future

• The fight for online privacy in the U.S. is heating up, and it's not just a matter of compliance anymore — it's a matter of trust. 
• For years, Americans have tolerated an opaque digital ecosystem where data flows freely to marketers, advertisers and even data brokers with little oversight. But as privacy becomes a cultural and business imperative, the status quo is increasingly untenable. Read more here.
• Check out our Cookie Consent Banner Style Guide for tips on designing a fully compliant cookie consent banner that puts consumer choice first.

EU AI Act: First Regulation on Artificial Intelligence

The AI Act outlines a set of rules for organizations operating in the EU with enforcement starting in late 2024 and expanding through 2027. As of February 2, 2025, the EU AI Act has begun phased implementation. Article 5 prohibits AI systems that pose unacceptable risks, including those that manipulate individuals, perform social scoring, or infer emotions in workplaces and educational institutions. To guide compliance, the EU has released non-binding guidelines detailing prohibited AI practices that threaten fundamental rights, such as harmful manipulation and discriminatory social scoring.  

Security and risk management leaders should immediately start discovering and cataloging AI-enabled capabilities ahead of the mandatory risk assessment.

January brought a new Live Data Map System Profile, instant risk insights, intuitive no-code consent banner editing, proactive cookie management, ML-driven Privacy Request Center translation, data discovery for Databricks, and more.

🔍 What’s New?

• In addition to automated script and tracker management, DataGrail Consent customers now use Cookie Management [Beta] to proactively detect and manage all privacy-impacting cookies with ease.
• Privacy Request Center now provides a machine-learning-powered translation service that allows the requester to instantly localize the request process to their preferred language.
• Our industry-leading integration network continues to grow. We’ve added new integrations to help you securely discover and classify sensitive data and automatically access and delete personal data across your business.

Check out our monthly product release blog here.

Reflections on A Year of Growth and Innovation

• DataGrail achieved significant milestones in 2024, including double-digit customer growth, record-breaking sales, and the successful launch of enhanced Live Data Map features and the rapidly growing DataGrail Consent product.
• The company introduced the Data Privacy Hero Awards and released the annual Data Privacy Trends Report, highlighting a 246% surge in data subject requests over two years, reinforcing privacy's critical role in building trust.

Introducing New Risk Management Capabilities: Instant, actionable risk insights across your business

• In January we announced several new DataGrail Live Data Map features that make it even easier for privacy and security teams to find and mitigate privacy risk across their business.
• With the launch of the new System Profile, Instant Risk Categories, and fully integrated Risk Assessments, it’s now even easier for Live Data Map customers to identify their highest-risk systems and processes on day one, without needing to rely on time-consuming, costly scans.

Are you passionate about privacy, legal, or security issues? Want to connect with like-minded professionals and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape?

Become a member of our Privacy Community!

Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro, there’s a place for you here! Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of a vibrant network committed to advancing data privacy.

See you next time! 👋

Megan

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