Ancient Greece: Privacy was valued in ancient Greek culture, with concepts like "oikonomia" emphasizing the importance of private life.
1789: The U.S. Constitution came into effect, providing implicit protections for privacy through its amendments.
1890: The "Right to Privacy" law review article by Louis Brandeis and Samuel Warren argued for a legal right to privacy.
1914: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was established, later becoming a key player in privacy enforcement.
1970s: The U.S. government began regulating encryption as a munition, restricting its export and use.
1973: The HEW Advisory Committee on Automated Personal Data Systems developed Fair Information Practices, which influenced modern privacy legislation.
1974: The Privacy Act of 1974 and FERPA were enacted to protect personal data.
1975: The draft Data Encryption Standard (DES) was published, marking a significant step in public cryptography.
1977: DES was adopted as a federal standard, despite concerns about its security.
1980s: Early malware and viruses began to spread, highlighting cybersecurity concerns.
1990s: Encryption export controls were gradually relaxed due to lobbying and economic needs.
1995: The EU Data Protection Directive was adopted, setting a precedent for robust privacy laws.
1996: HIPAA was enacted to protect health information.
1998: COPPA was passed to safeguard children's online privacy.
1999: The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act required financial institutions to disclose data sharing practices.
2000: Encryption regulations were significantly relaxed in the U.S.
2001: AES replaced DES as the encryption standard.
2010s:
- 2012: Target's marketing practices raised privacy concerns.
- 2013: Edward Snowden revealed extensive government surveillance, sparking global privacy debates.
- 2013: The Target data breach exposed millions of credit card details.
- 2014: The Sony Pictures hack highlighted cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
- 2015: The Safe Harbor agreement was invalidated, impacting data transfers between the EU and U.S.
- 2018: GDPR came into effect, setting new standards for data protection.
- 2018: The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed misuse of personal data.
- 2020s:
- 2020: CCPA took effect in California, mirroring GDPR protections.
- 2021: Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency, enhancing user privacy controls.
- 2021: Facebook faced criticism over WhatsApp data sharing practices.
- 2022: The U.S. government faced challenges in balancing privacy with surveillance needs.
- Historical Regulation: Encryption was once regulated as a munition, with export restrictions that treated it as a weapon.
- Forced Disclosure Laws: Some countries have laws requiring individuals to disclose encryption keys during investigations.
- Legal Debates: Cases like United States v. Fricosu have addressed the legality of compelling individuals to decrypt data.
