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 emergence of new digital regulations in 2024–2025 is fundamentally changing 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 indicates that 47 countries have implemented or are in the process of implementing new digital laws in the last 18 months.
This needs repeating: 47 countries. That’s over 60% of the world’s population living under new digital regulations.
“2025 is the point at which digital privacy became a fundamental issue expected by nearly every nation. This marks 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 Strengthened
The General Data Protection Regulation has been in force since 2018. However, in 2025, the European Union tightened the rules.
New changes in 2025:
- Penalties for violations: up to 6% of global revenue (previously 4%)
- Right to be forgotten: now includes archival photos on social media
- Opt-in consent for cookies: no hidden preferences – explicit consent required for each cookie
The result? Tech companies had to adapt.
Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) paid $1.2 billion in fines in 2025 for GDPR violations (total fines from 2018–2025: $8.4 billion).
But this is not just about penalties – it’s a shift in operational methods. Meta now stores data in Europe rather than transferring it to the U.S. This means higher operational costs but better regulatory compliance.
2. DMA (Digital Markets Act) – A Newcomer for Europe
The Digital Markets Act, being implemented since 2024, regulates so-called “gatekeepers” – giants controlling market access.
Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta are all on the “gatekeeper” list.
DMA prohibits:
- Preferential treatment of own services (e.g., Google Search promoting Google Maps)
- Forced integration (e.g., integrating WhatsApp with Messenger)
- Blocking communication between apps
Impact on Google? In July 2025, the company had to change how Android integrates with Chrome and other services. Implementation costs are estimated at $2.1 billion.
3. Brazil: Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD) + New Right to Deletion
Brazil is the largest market in Latin America. In June 2025, the Brazilian parliament passed a law granting citizens the right to completely delete their data within 30 days.
This solution is more radical than GDPR. There are no exceptions for “archiving.”
The result? Companies operating in Brazil had to rebuild their database systems. WhatsApp had to implement a new data deletion process – which removes not only user data but also 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 country.
This means companies like Google, AWS, and Microsoft Azure had to open new data centers. AWS invested $340 million independently in data infrastructure in Southeast Asia during 2024–2025.
Practical Implications: Real-World Examples
TikTok in the USA: The Biggest Challenge
TikTok, a platform owned by China, faced a September 2025 law requiring the company to sell its U.S. operations to a non-Chinese firm or be banned from operating.
TikTok’s value in the U.S. is estimated at about $120 billion.
Why? U.S. law treats the Chinese app as a potential national security threat due to user data collection.
The paradox? Instagram, Facebook, and Google collect more data than TikTok but are Western companies and thus accepted.
This shows that regulations are not always fully rational – often they 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 broke, you had to buy a new phone.
The right to repair changes that. Apple now must:
- Sell spare parts (screen, battery, etc.)
- Provide repair manuals
- Allow independent services to perform repairs
Cost to Apple? Estimated $2.8 billion annually in lost service revenue.
Poland: Where Do We Stand?
Poland does not yet have dedicated cybersecurity law but is subject to GDPR and DMA (as an EU member).
Fun fact: In May 2025, the Polish Sejm started 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 sharing 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 of compliance.
Netflix must:
- Comply with GDPR in Europe
- Comply with LGPD in Brazil
- Comply with data localization requirements in Southeast Asia
- Comply with restrictions similar to those imposed on TikTok in the U.S.
The cost of compliance for a large tech company is estimated at $500 million annually.
Problem 2: Lack of Interoperability
DMA in Europe requires interoperability – but regulations in Asia prohibit it. How can one be both interoperable and non-interoperable at the same time?
What’s Next?
EFF forecasts that by 2027:
- 65 countries will have dedicated cybersecurity laws (up from the current 47)
- AI regulations – laws will also cover artificial intelligence; the EU AI Act is already in force, with Brazilian and Chinese regulations in preparation
- Right to audit – the right to inspect tech companies’ algorithms (already underway in the EU)
- Digital tax – 75% of countries will impose a digital tax on tech companies
Digital regulations may not be a popular topic for most, but they are key to the future of technology.
Companies that adapt to new rules now will gain an advantage in the future. Those that ignore them will pay billions in fines.
For ordinary users, this is good news – they now have more rights to their digital privacy than ever before.