Nancy Marshall-Genzer

There's a lot of debate over whether United States or European Union online privacy protections are better. In theory, the EU has it better: Privacy law across the Atlantic actually guarantees protection of personal data, and new digital privacy legislation being considered by the European Parliament would strengthen those guarantees.

David Sorkin, who teaches information technology and privacy and consumer law at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, says in the US, we enforce our digital privacy rights, albeit privately.

"That is, the right to sue," he explains. "And sometimes, that would have to be in the form of a class action. Whereas in the EU it's mostly data protection commissioners, regulators, who impose the rules and enforce them."