The law on government protection is concerned with the rights of citizens to protect themselves against actions by governments that violate their rights. Equal protection laws, privacy laws and civil liberties are a few examples.
Consumers who believe a private firm has violated the rights of consumers may file a civil lawsuit against the company through the state attorney general, or another agency. In the event that the violations are serious, federal agencies (such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission or the Food and Drug Administration) may also file a lawsuit against the company who committed the offense.
Many states have consumer protection laws in place, but federal legislation isn’t in place. For example, while Europe has an extensive data protection law known as the General Data Protection Regulation that requires companies to obtain permission before using personal information and gives consumers rights to control and access their data and control their data, the United States only has a patchwork of statutes that have acronyms such as HIPAA, FCRA, GLBA, FERPA and ECPA.
The APRA will prioritise the interests and rights of consumers over the rights of private companies and permit consumers to sue. A similar new Maryland law would establish strict bans on the sale of personal information and privacy-preserving data minimization requirements in effect.
Equal protection laws ensure that the state treats all citizens equally, without making distinctions between people by virtue of differences that are irrelevant to the legitimate goals of the government. For instance the Constitution’s guarantee of equality protection in the workplace prevents employers from discriminating against employees because of race or ethnicity.