While global businesses have spent the past few years growing their understanding of data privacy—from the scope of personal data collection and dissemination to the legal ramifications resulting from itAmerican consumers have remained largely in the dark about the extent of personal surveillance. Now their unawareness is morphing into concern.

Aly McDevitt is Data & Research Journalist at Compliance Week. She has a background in education and college consulting. Prior to teaching, she was an editor/author at Thomson Reuters, where she reported...