The Right to Digital Privacy: A New Era of Regulation
When we think about technology, we usually associate it with innovation. However, in 2025, law is becoming just as important an area as engineering.
The birth of new digital regulations in 2024–2025 is changing the foundations of how tech companies operate. This is no longer an academic debate – these are real business consequences worth billions of dollars.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an organization dedicated to protecting digital rights, published a report in August 2025 titled “Digital Privacy Regulations 2025: A Global Review.” It points out that 47 countries have implemented or are in the process of implementing new digital regulations over the last 18 months.
It’s important to emphasize: 47 countries. That’s more than 60% of the world’s population living under new digital regulations.
“2025 is the point where digital privacy has become a fundamental issue expected by almost every nation. It’s the end of the ‘less regulation’ era,” said Cindy Cohn, EFF’s executive director, in an interview with Mediamatic published on July 3, 2025.
What Are the New Regulations?
1. GDPR (European Union) – Existing but Tightened
The General Data Protection Regulation has been in effect since 2018. In 2025, the European Union tightened the rules.
New changes in 2025:
- Penalties for violations: up to 6% of global revenue (previously 4%)
The effect? Tech companies had to adapt.
Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) paid $1.2 billion in fines for GDPR violations in 2025 (total from 2018–2025: $8.4 billion).
But it’s not just about fines – it’s a change in the business model. Meta now stores data in Europe instead of transferring it to the U.S. This means higher operational costs but greater compliance with regulations.
2. DMA (Digital Markets Act) – A New Development in Europe
The Digital Markets Act, being implemented since 2024, regulates companies acting as “gatekeepers” – giants controlling access to the market.
Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta – all are on the “gatekeeper” list.
What DMA prohibits:
Impact on Google? In July 2025, the company had to change the way Android integrates with Chrome and other services. The implementation cost is estimated at $2.1 billion.
3. Brazil: Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD) + New Right to Data Deletion
Brazil is the largest market in Latin America. In June 2025, the Brazilian parliament passed a law granting citizens the right to complete deletion of their data within 30 days.
This is more radical than GDPR. No exceptions were made for archiving.
The effect? Companies operating in Brazil had to overhaul their database systems. WhatsApp introduced a new “data deletion pipeline” – a process that deletes not only user data but all copies, backups, and caches.
4. New Law in Asia: Data Localization Requirements
In Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, new regulations require that citizens’ data be stored locally, on servers within the respective country.
This means companies like Google, AWS, and Microsoft Azure had to open new data centers. AWS invested about $340 million in data infrastructure in Southeast Asia during 2024–2025.
Practical Implications: Concrete Examples
TikTok in the USA: The Biggest Challenge
TikTok, a Chinese platform, faced a September 2025 law that requires the company to sell its U.S. operations to a non-Chinese company or be banned from operating.
TikTok’s value in the U.S. is estimated at around $120 billion.
Why? U.S. law considers the Chinese app a potential national security risk due to user data collection.
The paradox? Instagram, Facebook, and Google collect more data than TikTok but are Western companies, so they are accepted.
This shows that regulations are not always rational – they often have political motives.
Apple and the Right to Repair
In the European Union and the U.S., new laws require Apple (and other manufacturers) to provide spare parts and repair instructions for their devices.
Until now, Apple made repairs difficult – if an iPhone screen was damaged, you had to buy a new phone.
The right to repair changes this. Apple now must:
Cost to Apple? Estimated $2.8 billion annually in lost service revenue.
Poland: Where Are We?
Poland does not yet have dedicated cyber law but is subject to GDPR and DMA as an EU member.
Interesting fact: In May 2025, the Polish Sejm began work on the “Cybersecurity Act,” which aims to regulate the security of critical digital infrastructure.
Poland is also negotiating with the U.S. on a “data exchange agreement” – a pact regulating data flow between Poland and the U.S.
Challenges for Tech Companies
Problem 1: Regulatory Fragmentation
Every country has different laws. For a global company, this means a nightmare in terms of compliance.
Netflix must:
Compliance costs for a large tech company are estimated at around $500 million annually.
Problem 2: Lack of Interoperability
DMA in Europe requires interoperability, but regulations in Asia forbid it. How can a company be both interoperable and non-interoperable at the same time?
What’s Ahead?
EFF forecasts that by 2027:
Digital regulations may not be a widely thrilling topic, but they are crucial for the future of technology.
Companies that adapt now to the new rules will be in a better position. Those that ignore them will pay billions in fines.
For ordinary people, this is good news – they have more rights to their digital privacy today than ever before.
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📚 Sources:
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) (August 2025)
Mediamatic (July 2025)
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