In the ordinary course of business, we collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure, dispose of, transmit, and share (collectively, process) personal information, client information, and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential business information, trade secrets, intellectual property, and sensitive third-party data. As a result, we are, or may become, subject to numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations, guidance, industry standards and other obligations regarding privacy, data protection, information security and processing and protection of personal information and other content, the scope of which is changing, subject to differing interpretations and may be inconsistent among countries, or conflict with other rules. We are also subject to the terms of our privacy policies and obligations to third parties (including contractual) related to privacy, data protection and information security. We strive to comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies and other legal obligations relating to privacy, data protection and information security. However, the regulatory framework for privacy and data protection worldwide is unclear and evolving, and is likely to remain uncertain, for the foreseeable future. We expect that there will continue to be new laws, regulations and industry standards concerning privacy, data protection and information security proposed and enacted in various jurisdictions. There is a risk that the requirements of these laws and regulations, or of contractual or other obligations relating to data privacy or information security, will be interpreted or applied in a manner that is, or is alleged to be, inconsistent with our management and processing practices, our policies or procedures or the features of our product offerings. We may face challenges in addressing these requirements and making necessary changes to our policies and practices and may incur significant costs and expenses in an effort to do so.
Outside the United States, an increasing number of laws, regulations, and industry standards apply to privacy, data protection and information security and impose strict requirements for processing personal information, including the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, or EU GDPR and the United Kingdom's version of the GDPR or UK GDPR.
The EU GDPR and UK GDPR are wide-ranging in scope and impose numerous requirements, including requiring that consent of individuals to whom the personal information relates is obtained in certain circumstances, requiring additional disclosures to individuals regarding data processing activities, requiring that appropriate safeguards are implemented to protect the security and confidentiality of personal information, creating mandatory data breach notification requirements in certain circumstances and requiring that certain measures (including contractual requirements) are put in place when engaging third-party data processors. The EU GDPR, permits data protection authorities to impose large penalties for violations of the regulation, including potential fines of up to €20 million, 17.5 million pounds sterling under the UK GDPR or, in each case, 4% of annual global revenue, whichever is greater; or private litigation related to processing of personal information brought by classes of data subjects or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests. The EU GDPR also provides individuals with various rights in respect of their personal information, including rights of access, erasure, portability, rectification, restriction and objection and confers a private right of action on data subjects and consumer associations to lodge complaints with supervisory authorities (including group actions), seek judicial remedies and obtain compensation for damages resulting from violations of the EU GDPR. The EU GDPR requirements may apply not only to third-party transactions, but also to transfers of information between us and our subsidiaries, including employee information. Furthermore, several jurisdictions have enacted measures related to the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in products and services. For example, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (EUAIA) imposes onerous obligations related to the use of AI related systems. Other similar laws may be passed in other jurisdictions and may require us to change our business practices, or else be subject to regulatory action and/or fines.
Moreover, in the ordinary course of business, we may transfer personal information from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries. Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted data laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal information to other countries. For example, absent appropriate safeguards, the EU GDPR generally restricts the transfer of personal information to countries outside the EEA absent certain safeguards. Laws in Switzerland and the UK similarly restrict personal information transfers outside of those jurisdictions to countries such as the United States of America that do not provide an adequate level of protection for personal information. Although there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer personal information from the EEA and UK to the United States in compliance with law, such as the EEA standard contractual clauses, the UK's International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum, and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK extension thereto (which allows for transfers to relevant U.S.-based organizations who self-certify compliance and participate in the Framework), these mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that we can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal information to the United States. If there is no lawful manner for us to transfer personal information from the EEA, the UK, or other jurisdictions to the United States, or if the requirements for a legally-compliant transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences, including the interruption or degradation of our operations, the need to relocate part of or all of our business or data processing activities to other jurisdictions at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and penalties, the inability to transfer data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against our processing or transferring of personal information necessary to operate our business.
Some European regulators have prevented companies from transferring personal information out of Europe for allegedly violating the GDPR's cross-border data transfer limitations. Regulators in the United States are also increasingly scrutinizing certain personal information transfers and may impose data localization requirements, for example, the Biden Administration's executive order Preventing Access to Americans' Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern.
In the United States, federal, state, and local governments have enacted numerous privacy, data protection and information security laws, including data breach notification laws, personal information privacy laws, and consumer protection laws. For example, California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, or CCPA, which imposes obligations on businesses to which it applies. The CCPA gives California residents rights to access and require deletion of their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations (up to $7,500 per intentional violation), as well as a private right of action for data breaches that may increase data breach litigation. At least eighteen other states have also passed comprehensive privacy laws some of which go into effect in 2024 and the coming years. If we become subject to these or other new state or federal data privacy laws, we may have to comply with additional obligations which may increase legal risk and compliance costs for us and third parties with whom we work.
We are also bound by contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful. For example, certain privacy, data protection and information security laws, such as the GDPR and the CCPA, require our customers to impose specific contractual restrictions on their service providers. We publish privacy policies, marketing materials and other statements, such as compliance with certain certifications or self-regulatory principles, regarding data privacy and security. Although we endeavor to comply with our published information security and privacy policies, certifications and documentation, we may at times fail to do so or may be perceived to have failed to do so. Moreover, despite our efforts, we may not be successful in achieving compliance if our employees or vendors do not comply with our published policies, certifications, and documentation. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our policies, certifications and documentation, our data privacy- or information security-related obligations to customers or other third parties or any of our other legal obligations relating to data privacy or information security may result in significant consequences. These consequences may include, but are not limited to, governmental investigations or enforcement actions (e.g., investigations, fines, penalties, audits, inspections), litigation, claims or public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups or others, which could result in significant liability or cause our customers to lose trust in us, additional reporting requirements and/or oversight, bans on processing personal information, or orders to destroy or not use personal information, any of which could have an adverse effect on our reputation and business. Furthermore, the costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, the laws, documentation, certifications, regulations and policies that are applicable to the businesses of our customers may limit the adoption and use of, and reduce the overall demand for, our product offerings. Additionally, if third parties with whom we work, such as vendors or developers, violate applicable data privacy or security laws or regulations, certifications, documentation or our policies, such violations may also put our customers' content at risk and could in turn have an adverse effect on our business.
Our employees and personnel use generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to perform their work, and the disclosure and use of personal information in generative AI technologies is subject to various privacy laws and other privacy obligations. Governments have passed and are likely to pass additional laws regulating generative AI. Our use of this technology could result in additional compliance costs, regulatory investigations and actions, and lawsuits. If we are unable to use generative AI, it could make our business less efficient and result in competitive disadvantages. We use AI and machine learning (ML), to assist us in making certain decisions, which is regulated by certain privacy laws. Due to inaccuracies or flaws in the inputs, outputs, or logic of the AI/ML, the model could be biased and could lead us to make decisions that could bias certain individuals (or classes of individuals), and adversely impact their rights, employment, and ability to obtain certain pricing, products, services, or benefits.
We use AI, including generative AI, and ML technologies in our products and services (collectively, AI/ML technologies). The development and use of AI/ML present various privacy and security risks that may impact our business. AI/ML are subject to privacy, data protection and information security laws, as well as increasing regulation and scrutiny. Several jurisdictions around the globe, including Europe and certain U.S. states, have proposed, enacted, or are considering laws governing the development and use of AI/ML, such as the EU's AI Act. We expect other jurisdictions will adopt similar laws. Additionally, certain privacy laws extend rights to consumers (such as the right to delete certain personal information) and regulate automated decision making, which may be incompatible with our use of AI/ML. These obligations may make it harder for us to conduct our business using AI/ML, lead to regulatory fines or penalties, require us to change our business practices, retrain our AI/ML, or prevent or limit our use of AI/ML. For example, the FTC has required other companies to turn over (or disgorge) valuable insights or trainings generated through the use of AI/ML where they allege the company has violated privacy and consumer protection laws. If we cannot use AI/ML or that use is restricted, our business may be less efficient, or we may be at a competitive disadvantage.
Any significant change to applicable laws, regulations or industry practices regarding the collection, use, retention, security or disclosure of our customers' data, or regarding the manner in which the express or implied consent of customers for the collection, use, retention or disclosure of such content is obtained, could increase our costs and require us to modify our product offerings, possibly in a material manner, which we may be unable to complete and may limit our ability to store and process customer data or develop new applications and features. Preparing for and complying with these obligations requires us to devote significant resources and may necessitate changes to our services, information technologies, systems, and practices and to those of any third parties that process personal information on our behalf.
Our business is reliant on revenue from behavioral, interest-based, or tailored advertising (collectively, "targeted advertising"), but delivering targeted advertisements is becoming increasingly difficult due to changes to our ability to gather information about user behavior through third party platforms, new laws and regulations, and consumer resistance.
Major technology platforms on which we rely to gather information about consumers have adopted or proposed measures to provide consumers with additional control over the collection, use, and sharing of their personal information for targeted advertising purposes. For example, in 2021, Apple began allowing users to more easily opt-out of activity tracking across devices. In February 2022, Google announced similar plans to adopt additional privacy controls on its Android devices to allow users to limit sharing of their data with third parties and reduce cross-device tracking for advertising purposes.
Additionally, Google has announced that it intends to phase out third-party cookies in its Chrome browser, which could make it more difficult for us to target advertisements. Other browsers, such as Firefox and Safari, have already adopted similar measures. In addition, legislative proposals and present laws and regulations regulate the use of cookies and other tracking technologies, electronic communications, and marketing. For example, in the EEA and the UK, regulators are increasingly focusing on compliance with requirements related to the targeted advertising ecosystem. European regulators have issued significant fines in certain circumstances where the regulators alleged that appropriate consent was not obtained in connection with targeted advertising activities. It is anticipated that the ePrivacy Regulation and national implementing laws will replace the current national laws implementing the ePrivacy Directive, which may require us to make significant operational changes. In the United States, the CCPA, for example, grants California residents the right to opt-out of a company's sharing of personal information for targeted advertising purposes as well as a company's disclosure of personal information in exchange for money or other valuable consideration, and requires covered businesses to honor user-enabled browser opt-out signals from the Global Privacy Control.
Partially as a result of these developments, individuals are becoming increasingly resistant to the collection, use, and sharing of personal information to deliver targeted advertising. Individuals are now more aware of options related to consent, "do not track" mechanisms (such as browser opt-out signals from the Global Privacy Control), and "ad-blocking" software to prevent the collection of their personal information for targeted advertising purposes. As a result, we may be required to change the way we market our products, and any of these developments or changes could materially impair our ability to reach new or existing customers or otherwise negatively affect our operations.