data protection

A system of laws intended to protect personal data from misuse by individuals
or organizations. The first data protection laws were passed in the 1980s,
and there have been various updates since. One of the best known data
protection laws is the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
which came into action in 2018.

The effectiveness of data protection laws, though perhaps well-intended, has
always been questionable and enforcement has been negligible or entirely
absent despite conspicuous violations. Attempts to lawyer your way out of
the problem of data misuse are less effective than using technical
measures, such as client side encryption.