ONLINE LEGISLATION: DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS IN DATA PRIVACY AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Authors

• Garrett J. Splinter, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Dr. Chris Bohn

Date of this Version

Spring 5-5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

Garrett Splinter. "ONLINE LEGISLATION: DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS IN DATA PRIVACY AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT." UNL School of Computing. 5 May 2026

Comments

Copyright Garrett Splinter, 2026.

Abstract

The increasingly relevant interaction between the law and data privacy, as well as compliance requirements enforced by the United States, is currently in a state of transition. Various states, such as California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nebraska, and many others, all have passed legislation with varied requirements and definitions that make for a challenging framework in which software developers operate, as the universal nature of the internet renders their compliance with current legislation a challenge. Enforcement also tends to be relatively relaxed in most modern examples, though it has escalated after 2020, and this trend may continue in the future, lending credence to the importance of ensuring software developers are aware of the paradigm in which they work. Several attempts to pass bills on the federal level in recent years have struggled to find a universal definition, and no comprehensive law has yet been passed to provide a cohesive response to data privacy requirements. Some solutions discussed have even included a simple plugin to allow users to set their own preferences universally, and this approach has begun to make headway in California. Overall, however, strong examples of other governments’ reactions to data privacy concerns already exist throughout the world that try to centralize data in government possession or to provide users with more powerful tools to control their data. This will prove to be a rapidly changing, experimental field of law in the United States, and developers must be made aware of and cooperate with any new changes put forth.