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Washington, D.C. – U.S. companies should adopt essentially the same data protection rules that are poised to go into effect in the European Union on May 25, Public Citizen, the Center for Digital Democracy and Privacy International said today.

In a sign-on letter, 28 groups, including Consumer Action, are calling on some of the world’s largest companies – including Facebook, Google and Amazon, as well as digital advertisers like Nestle, Walmart and JPMorgan Chase – to use the core elements of Europe’s impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regime as a baseline standard worldwide for all of their services, including in the U.S.

“Strong privacy standards should apply to everyone who uses online platforms and services no matter where they live,” the letter states. “We envision a digital economy that safeguards individual privacy, advances fairness and provides equal opportunity for all. The unfettered collection and use of personal data threatens this future.”

The GDPR places limits on the gathering and use of personal data and establishes clear responsibilities for companies that collect it, as well as clear rights for people whose data is gathered. It aims to give individuals control over their data.

"Consumers do not have comprehensive privacy protections in the U.S. but they ought to," said Linda Sherry Consumer Action's director of National Priorities. "Since global companies will begin providing these protections to millions of European consumers this week it's clear that they have the ability to extend these options worldwide."

For easy-to-read details on the new rules see Consumer Action's issue on Data Protection.

Through multilingual consumer education materials, community outreach and issue-focused advocacy, Consumer Action empowers underrepresented consumers nationwide to assert their rights in the marketplace and financially prosper.