In this survey of privacy, data protection, surveillance, and freedom of information laws and practices in over fifty countries, EPIC and Privacy International find that there is a strong recognition of privacy as a fundamental human right.
There is a growing movement towards enacting comprehensive data protection laws. Adoption of these laws is driven by a desire to promote electronic commerce, to address past human rights violations, and to ensure international trade. Many countries have also adopted Freedom of Information Laws.
At the same time, there are frequent abuses of privacy by both governments and corporations, even in countries with strong privacy laws. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in particular, are actively opposing legal and technical barriers to surveillance.
