There are laws for just about every aspect of our lives, yet did you know that there are laws geared towards your online privacy? In fact, there are several laws that are important in determining what can and cannot be done with the information collected from your actions online.

Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act 

This act was created to dictate how companies share information with the federal government concerning cyberthreats. The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act has been around fro the past few years and has support from two of the main members in the House Intelligence Committee. In February it was reintroduced and has been a primary focus for becoming an official piece of legislation. Although it is not official yet, it could make a big impact in the online world.

Computer Fraud and Abuse Act 

This act was passed in the 1980s and was then later updated in the 90s, yet it is believed that it is too restrictive when it comes to banning information sharing. This act, now referred to as “Aaron’s Law”, makes it a federal crime to access and share protected information online.

Trans Pacific-Partnership Agreement 

Unlike the other acts, this agreement pertains to not only the US, but also internationally. There is currently a debate about how to establish standards for online sharing among various countries. This agreement is playing an impact on nine different countries: US, Peru, Chile, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, and potentially Japan and Canada. This act works towards expanding the United States’ intellectual property standards to these other countries while at the same time reinforcing existing Intellectual Property laws in America. This all has to do with copyright laws and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Negotiations are currently going on for this agreement.

Electronic Communications Privacy Act 

Passed in 1986, this law was made to set standards for how the government is able to access digital information from citizens. However, there hasn’t been much done to update the act as our technology and online presence has changed. There are people who push against the act and claim that it is wrong for the government to not have to obtain a warrant in order to retrieve electronic files. It is currently set with this act that if the government wanted digital communications of a person which includes emails and Facebook messages, that they would have to only obtain a subpoena instead of a warrant once those items are 180 days old.

These are only a few of the many laws that are now implemented and also soon to be passed in our government. It is important to realize that these laws can either be beneficial or detrimental to your privacy online. If you would like to read more about these laws and others not mentioned, take a look at this page on US Legal.com

Does this change where you store your information online? Do these laws scare you or make you feel more comfortable about how and who can access your personal information? Tell us how you feel in the comments below!