The well-known Brussels effect has been felt from North America to Oceania, as GDPR-modeled data privacy measures continue to emerge. Middle Eastern countries, similarly, have been heavily influenced by European regulations. But, as UCLA law student Noah Usman explores, newly passed laws sport some key differences.
As privacy and cybersecurity have become increasingly relevant concerns in healthcare and technology, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) has enjoyed an almost uncontested reputation as the world’s foremost privacy law. Its influence, known as the “Brussels effect,” has shaped the regulatory landscape far beyond the European Union.
Indeed, jurisdictions in places like Asia, North American and Australia have emulated the strict protections pioneered by the EU, and the comprehensive nature of many incoming regulations in other parts of the world shows that the space between regulation in various regions is rapidly closing.
In the Middle East, recently passed data privacy and protection legislation in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, for example, has demonstrated an increased commitment to consumer rights, business interests and the protection of the personal information of these nations’ respective citizens.
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