EU data protection may trigger global ripple effect

(FILES) In this file illustration picture taken on April 20, 2018 in Paris shows apps for Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple (GAFA) and the reflexion of a binary code displayed on a tablet screen. The EU's new data protection rules that enter into force later this month are having an impact around the world as firms, including in the United States and China, move to comply. / AFP PHOTO / Lionel BONAVENTURE

PARIS: The EU’s new data protection rules that enter into force later this month are having an impact around the world as firms, including in the United States and China, move to comply. 

While all firms globally are required to comply with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) when it comes to the data of Europeans, the rules may have a wider impact if firms decide to extend the protections to all users.