As regulations in US, internationally show differences, IT experts call for unified standards

It’s not every day you hear industry experts calling for more government intervention, but when it comes to tech policy, some experts are asking for clearer guidelines.

“Regulations need to have actual consequences behind them for people to make these changes to technology,” software developer and technologist Thomas Haver told IT Brew.

Haver added that putting regulations in place can help with data privacy and security. He likened the rules to other industries, like air travel: You don’t want the airlines to ignore the guidelines in place for customer safety. It’s a similar situation for cybersecurity, or any sector that deals with people’s information and safety—and the ramifications of ignoring the guidance need to be sufficient enough to discourage bad behavior.

Choppy waters. There are some hurdles in front of such an effort. The Supreme Court’s decision in June, limiting government agencies’ ability to regulate industry—known as Chevron deference—is already handcuffing the executive branch’s power. And, as Axios reported, the Corner Post ruling on July 1, which removed a six year statute of limitations on challenging agency actions, makes things even harder because it “effectively removed an existing six-year limit on the right of affected parties to challenge regulations.”

But even if it works out, not everyone is enthused with the idea of the government stepping in to lend a guiding hand—particularly it’s governments, plural. Some US-based tech companies, like Meta and Apple, are fighting back against stricter overseas regulations by refusing to release their products in Europe and Brazil. RSA Conference Chairman Hugh Thompson told IT Brew that the differing rules in Europe and the US can make it difficult to keep up with what companies need to do on a case-by-case basis.

“What you’re seeing is more and more companies, in the legal departments, just trying to wade through and keep up with these new pieces of guidance and regulation,” Thompson said, adding, “It’s a very hard-to-reconcile problem…there’s no easy answer.”

Foreign affairs. Haver’s not alone in his desire to see some sort of across-the-board regulatory framework in place in the US. Speaking at an American Consumer Institute panel on July 23, trade analyst Simon Lester noted that there’s a need for the country to have a mutually agreed-upon framework.

“If you’re negotiating an international agreement, it’s crucial that you have a clear, unified point of view within your government,” Lester said at the panel.