What is the US alternative to GDPR?

Asked by: Reina Mayert DDS  |  Last update: May 13, 2026
Score: 4.6/5 (52 votes)

There isn't a single, unified US federal law equivalent to the EU's GDPR; instead, the US has a patchwork of state laws, with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), serving as the closest and most influential US counterpart, granting California residents significant control over their personal information, similar to GDPR's principles. Other states like Virginia (VCDPA) and Colorado (CPA) have enacted similar comprehensive privacy laws, but a national US standard is still lacking.

What is the equivalent of GDPR in the USA?

The US equivalent of the GDPR is the CCPA or California Consumer Privacy Act. It was inspired by the GDPR, and both laws protect the personal data of consumers.

How is CCPA different from GDPR?

While the GDPR's protections are framed exclusively around identified or identifiable natural persons, i.e., individuals, the CCPA focuses on consumers and households. It also explicitly lists identifiers such as device IDs and IP addresses as examples of covered personal information.

Does the US have data retention laws?

There are a variety of state and federal data retention laws in the United States. These laws dictate the types of data that must be retained and for how long.

Does the USA have data privacy laws?

The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, provides privacy protections for records containing information about individuals (i.e., citizen and legal permanent resident) that are collected and maintained by the federal government and are retrieved by a personal identifier.

GDPR: What Is It and How Might It Affect You?

17 related questions found

Is GDPR coming to the US?

GDPR enforcement in the US comes from EU Data Protection Authorities (DPAs), rather than US regulators. This might seem counterintuitive, but it's how the regulation is designed to work across borders. EU Data Protection Authorities have full jurisdiction over US companies that process EU personal data.

What is the toughest data privacy law in the world?

The EU general data protection regulation (GDPR) is the strongest privacy and security law in the world. This regulation updated and modernised the principles of the 1995 data protection directive. It was adopted in 2016 and entered into application on 25 May 2018.

What is GDPR and PipeDA?

GDPR has a broad territorial reach, extending to EU-based organizations and those outside the EU that offer goods or services to EU residents or monitor their behavior. PIPEDA applies to private-sector organizations across Canada that collect, use, or disclose personal information during commercial activities.

Do all states require retention of records for only 6 years?

Retention rules: Federal HIPAA guidelines require retaining compliance documents (e.g., policies, risk assessments) for at least 6 years. Medicare-related records may need 7-10 years. State laws vary: Some states require retention for 3-11 years or longer, particularly for pediatric records.

What is GDPR compliance in the USA?

For U.S. businesses, achieving GDPR compliance involves meeting several key requirements: Data Protection Principles: Adhering to principles such as lawfulness, fairness, transparency, data minimization, accuracy, storage limitation, and integrity and confidentiality.

What is CCPA now called?

The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) officially amended portions of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and took effect on January 1, 2023.

What is GDPR now called?

Data protection legislation controls how your personal information is used by organisations, including businesses and government departments. In the UK, data protection is governed by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

What is the California version of GDPR?

The GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation and it is an EU regulation for the data protection and privacy of EU residents. The CCPA stands for California Consumer Privacy Act and it is a US state law to protect the data and privacy rights of Californian residents.

What is the IRS 7 year rule?

The IRS 7-year rule isn't a single rule but refers to the extended time you should keep tax records (7 years) if you claim a loss from a bad debt deduction or worthless securities, allowing you to claim refunds for overpayments on those specific issues. Generally, the standard is 3 years, but it extends to 6 years if you underreport income by over 25% and indefinitely for fraudulent returns or not filing at all, with 7 years specifically for bad debts/worthless securities. 

What records must be kept forever?

Keep Forever

  • Birth certificate or adoption papers.
  • Social Security cards.
  • Valid passports and citizenship or residency papers.
  • Marriage licenses and divorce decrees.
  • Military records.
  • Wills, living wills, powers of attorney, and retirement and pension plans.
  • Death certificates of family members.

How long do you have to delete data under GDPR?

Under the GDPR, there is no specific retention period prescribed; instead, data must be kept no longer than necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. The retention period depends on various factors, including legal obligations, the purpose of data processing, industry standards, and business needs.

Which countries do not follow GDPR?

List of Non-GDPR European Countries

  • Albania.
  • Belarus.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • Kosovo.
  • Moldovia.
  • Montenegro.
  • North Macedonia.
  • Russia.

What are the 7 rules of GDPR?

The 7 principles of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) are: Lawfulness, Fairness & Transparency (process data legally, fairly, openly); Purpose Limitation (use data only for specified, legitimate reasons); Data Minimisation (collect only necessary data); Accuracy (keep data correct and up-to-date); Storage Limitation (don't keep data longer than needed); Integrity & Confidentiality (secure the data); and Accountability (demonstrate compliance).
 

Is PII the same as GDPR?

Personal data, in the context of GDPR, covers a much wider range of information than personally identifiable information (PII), commonly used in North America. In other words, while all PII is considered personal data, not all personal data is PII.

Which country has the best legal system in the world?

The top 35 countries (out of 142 listed countries) for the rule of law according to WJP in 2024 are:

  • Denmark.
  • Norway.
  • Finland.
  • Sweden.
  • Germany.
  • New Zealand.
  • Luxembourg.
  • Netherlands.

What is the biggest data breach in history?

10 Most Impactful Data Breaches Ever

  1. 1. Yahoo – 3,000,000,000 records lost. ...
  2. National Public Data – 2,900,000,000 records lost. ...
  3. River City Media – 1,370,000,000 records lost. ...
  4. Aadhaar – 1,100,000,000 records lost. ...
  5. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – 815,000,000 records lost. ...
  6. Spambot – 711,000,000 records lost.

Why is everyone updating their privacy policy in 2025?

TL;DR: State data privacy laws rapidly expanded in 2025, introducing new requirements for sensitive data, AI profiling, and universal opt-out signals. Businesses need adaptable, privacy-by-design compliance strategies to manage rising multi-state regulatory complexity.

What is the difference between GDPR and CCPA?

GDPR requires companies to have legal basis before processing data about residents. CCPA does not. GDPR applies to all businesses that meet the legal basis requirement mentioned above. CCPA applies only to businesses with an annual gross revenue of more than $25 million.

Can European data be stored in the US?

On 10 July the European Commission adopted its adequacy decision for the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. On the basis of the adequacy decision, personal data can flow freely from the EU to companies in the United States that participate in the Data Privacy Framework.

Can a US citizen use GDPR?

Any personal data you send when physically located in an EEA country falls under the GDPR, even if you are a U.S. citizen. Any data falling under the GDPR requires the data subject to provide consent to allow the data transfer to occur.