Recent enactments of state privacy protection laws have left a patchwork of legislation concerning online data security to which technology companies, including such entities as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, must adhere. Indeed, lawmakers in California, Ohio, Vermont, and Alabama have recently enacted legislation concerning online data security, not to mention similar legislation enacted in foreign jurisdictions. 

Against this patchwork of legislation, technology companies have signaled a willingness to collaborate with lawmakers in enacting nationwide legislation for a uniform approach to online data security regulation. Several of these technology companies have publicly demonstrated such willingness to collaborate, including Facebook telling the Wall Street Journal that it is “working with policymakers to craft privacy legislation to protect consumers, ensures people are in control of their information, and promotes responsible innovation.”