The main differences between internet privacy in the US and the EU

"Who is the focus of these laws? Is it about protecting us, and giving us all the information we need and allowing us to make informed choices?" asked Molly Wood. "Or is it about allowing Comcast to keep up with Google and Facebook when it comes to business models that rely on your personal data? I think that is a tension that's part of being American."

That's more or less true, according to experts we talked with. Especially as new regulations spread through the European Union, privacy laws abroad are generally more comprehensive, easy to understand and consumer-friendly than the laws in the U.S. "[They have] this idea that privacy is something that's quite central, that it could be thought of in terms of if property rights," said Indiana University associate professor Scott Shackelford, who teaches cybersecurity law. "Having privacy be the starting point and carving out free speech."