Is This Law from 1974? Updating Outdated Regulations
The sources repeatedly state that a major problem, especially in the US, is that laws are old and cannot keep up with technology. A law written in 1974 or 1996 simply cannot account for modern issues like "AI deep fakes" or the complexities of social media. Lawmakers often show a "lack of understanding" of the very technology they are trying to regulate.
• Initial Post: Think of a specific piece of modern technology that didn't exist or wasn't common 20 years ago (e.g., smart home devices like Alexa, AI image generators, facial recognition on your phone). Explain one specific data privacy risk this technology creates that an older law like the Privacy Act of 1974 (which only covers the federal government) would completely fail to address.
• Interaction Requirement: Read a classmate’s post. Acting as a modern regulator, suggest how one of the "extra protections for 'sensitive data'" under GDPR (such as for biometrics or religion) could be adapted to create a new, more relevant protection for the technology your classmate discussed.