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Abstract
It is necessary and feasible for the design of U.S. privacy policy to be based on evidence that policy interventions are likely to increase privacy protections in ways that consumers value. High-quality evidence is one of the most important inputs in the creation of effective public policy. Nonetheless, experts find that oftentimes too little evidence is used to support the policy process—particularly in cases of novel or emerging policy issues. Privacy policy in the digital age of big data and the Internet of things is no exception. This regulatory policy insight details the importance of using evidence to inform the development of U.S. privacy policy and identifies the kinds of evidence that would be particularly useful for policymakers to consider.