Data Privacy in 2026: TikTok, Facebook, and US Laws

Key takeaways

• Data privacy regulations help to protect and control your private or sensitive information from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure.

• Data privacy regulations news today often includes changes to rules governing social media apps like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

• To help ensure data privacy, read the privacy policy details before accepting the terms, monitor your privacy settings in apps, and consider using a VPN.

Data privacy is part of data management and security that ensures your personal information isn’t accessed or exposed by scammers or other malicious third parties. In the following article, you can learn more about the state of data privacy in the US and the steps you can take to protect your own personal information. Then, consider enrolling in Google’s Cybersecurity Professional Certificate. You’ll have the chance to learn cybersecurity fundamentals and get hands-on experience with Python, Linux, and SQL.

What is data privacy?

Data privacy is a subcategory of data management and security. It’s concerned with the ability to protect and control your personal information from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure. Unfortunately, data privacy regulations do not apply to many popular applications, websites, and products. In the absence of universal regulation, companies often implement their own privacy rules that comply with industry standards, thereby placing the burden of data protection on consumers.

For example, you have likely seen a document called a privacy policy upon downloading an application or service. Privacy policies outline how organizations collect your data and how they plan to use it. You can choose to accept the terms and use the product or deny them, resulting in limited or no access. However, the lack of transparency regarding these processes and whether consumers have enough information to provide meaningful consent has been scrutinized.

Data privacy regulation news

In its 2024 The State of Data Privacy Report, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and US PIRG Education Fund stated that, "Without meaningful limits on the collection and use of personal data, many companies are incentivized to collect as much data about consumers as possible and to retain it indefinitely. This out-of-control data collection puts consumers' security and privacy at risk. [1]. Furthermore, a 2026 Pew Research Center report reveals that 67 percent of Americans have little or no understanding of what companies do with data collected about them, and 77 percent have the same concern about data collected by the government [2].

Why is data privacy important?

Data is a powerful tool for gleaning meaningful insights into people’s behavior, interests, spending habits, and more. In the wrong hands, this type of data can cause harm. For example, a data privacy breach at a company that handles social security numbers or credit information can lead to identity theft. Data breaches at government institutions may impact international affairs.

You should be the only person who controls your personal information. Individual privacy is a fundamental right to many, such as freedom of religion or speech.

Data privacy regulations and laws

Europe has an overarching data privacy law known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It applies to organizations everywhere, as long as the collected data relates to people in the EU. In contrast, the United States has a variety of federal and state regulations, such as:

• The Privacy Act of 1974: This law governs how federal agencies collect and use personal data. It prohibits them from disclosing personal information without written consent and reserves an individual’s right to request changes to these records if they are incomplete or inaccurate. The Privacy Act of 1974 has limited exceptions, including the Census Bureau.

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): HIPAA is a United States law enacted by Congress in August 1996. It serves as the national standard for protecting patient health information, prohibiting its disclosure without patient knowledge or consent.

• Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA): This 1998 law limits the usage of data collected about children under 13 years old. To collect data from children under 13, organizations must post an online privacy policy that outlines their data collection practices and intended uses. Parents or guardians must then consent to the organization’s privacy policy before it begins collecting information. After collection, guardians can access, view, and delete their child’s data, and stop the organization from collecting further information. Other aspects of data privacy covered by this law include confidentiality requirements and time limits on how long the data can be held.

• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA): Executed in November 1999, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires financial institutions to safeguard sensitive data and disclose their information-sharing practices to customers.

• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): This California data privacy law went into effect in January 2020. It grants California consumers the right to demand that companies share any information they have collected about them, as well as any third parties with whom that data has been shared. Consumers in California can also pursue legal action against companies that violate privacy guidelines, with or without a security breach.

No single law or entity exists in the United States dedicated to protecting data of all kinds. Instead, various federal and state laws are in place to protect specific types of data and groups of people.

In July of 2022, the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce approved the American Data Privacy and Protection Act. However, it has failed to advance to the House or Senate floors. Despite strong support for this legislation that would serve as a comprehensive federal privacy law, differing views on what it should include have impeded progress. In 2026, Congress introduced the SECURE Data Act. This act would create a national framework for consumer privacy rights.

Data privacy compliance

Most modern businesses collect massive amounts of data every day. They use data analytics to guide decision-making in marketing, product development, and customer relations. As a result, many industries have privacy regulations, such as those listed above, to combat unfair use. Privacy compliance refers to an organization’s adherence to data protection guidelines.

Read more: Data Protection vs. Data Security vs. Data Privacy

Data privacy and social media

In recent years, the media has begun to shine a spotlight on data privacy in social media. You may be familiar with the 2023 TikTok congressional hearing in which US lawmakers interrogated CEO Shou Zi Chew about the app’s data privacy measures and its alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The concerns raised in this hearing not only highlighted the need for comprehensive data privacy legislation but also sparked backlash toward members of Congress for demonstrating a critical misunderstanding of modern technology through their lines of questioning.

But TikTok isn’t the only social media app that’s faced investigation related to data privacy. In 2018, Facebook was ordered to cease data collection on Belgian users or face up to a 100 million-euro fine. It also faced allegations related to a large-scale data theft in the same year [3]. In 2019, Google and YouTube reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state of New York for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), requiring them to pay $136 million to the FTC and $34 million to the state, respectively [4].

Although safeguarding your data online can seem challenging, you can take steps to protect your personal information. Use the list below to review privacy policies for some of the most frequently used applications:

• Meta Privacy Policy (this statement also pertains to Instagram)

• WhatsApp Privacy Policy

• TikTok Privacy Policy

• Pinterest Privacy Policy

• Tumblr Privacy Policy

• X (formerly known as Twitter) Privacy Policy

• Google Privacy Policy

• Privacy on YouTube apps

How to ensure data privacy

You can help ensure data privacy by reading policies before using an application, using a virtual private network (VPN), and revisiting the privacy settings on apps you regularly use. Explore in more detail these steps you can take to improve your data privacy mindfulness:

• Read privacy policies before using an application, service, or website: It’s tempting to just accept the terms when you’re presented with a long document. However, privacy policies are a great way to understand what companies will do with the information you provide.

• Consider using a VPN: A VPN masks your identity by enabling your device to connect to the internet through a third-party server. It also encrypts the information you send and receive while connected.

• Revisit your privacy settings on the apps you use every day: If you don’t customize your privacy settings, you may be providing platforms with more data than necessary. Consider visiting the settings on your most-used applications and websites to ensure you’ve turned off unnecessary cookies and other data-collection measures.

Did you know that there’s a national Data Privacy Day?

Data Privacy Day is January 28th. You can participate anytime in January by browsing virtual and in-person events celebrating Data Privacy Day on the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) website.

The value of data privacy skills

Learning about data privacy is an essential first step to protecting your personal information. It’s also an excellent skill to include on your resume. As mentioned above, nearly every modern business handles copious amounts of data every day. Whether you work in a tech job or not, knowing how to properly navigate cybersecurity threats is a core competency in the modern workforce.

Learn more about data privacy and management

If you’re interested in expert guidance and no-fluff tips to help you build your skills, subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also explore free career resources to learn topics such as data privacy and cybersecurity, explore emerging industries, and discover new opportunities:

• Watch on YouTube: Cybersecurity Roadmap for Career Changers

• Read our Career Chat issue: Cybersecurity Career Spotlight: What It Is and How to Get Started

• Explore a career path: Cybersecurity Career Progression: Job Levels & Skills to Advance

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