Anecdotally, I’ve not seen many instances of companies in the EU falling foul of this regulation for geo-blocking.
In 2021, Valve, the company behind Steam, along with a number of video game publishers, were fined €7.8 million for geo-blocking practices. Outside of this instance, very few have surfaced in my news feeds.
Differences Between US State Laws
Laws governing consumer protection, digital goods, and subscription services differ widely across U.S. states, resulting in unique legal frameworks that businesses must consider when operating in multiple regions.
These variations create challenges for companies, particularly in advertising and data compliance, as they must tailor their practices to meet the specific requirements of each state’s regulations.
Consumer Protection & Advertising Laws
Many states implement their own criteria for defining deceptive advertising, with some, like California and New York, establishing stricter guidelines than federal standards.
California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) and New York’s General Business Law are prime examples of state laws that set specific requirements for advertising practices.
These regulations often demand a higher level of compliance, making it essential for businesses to adjust their marketing efforts accordingly.
An example from the tangible world is the claim of “Made in the USA.”
In California, the definition of what qualifies as “Made in the USA” is notably more stringent than federal guidelines, directly influencing how companies can promote their products.
Businesses must carefully navigate these rules to ensure their advertising aligns with state-specific standards.
Laws Governing Digital Goods & Services
The sale and advertisement of goods and services online in the U.S. are often governed by varying state regulations. One area where this is evident is in the treatment of digital goods, such as ebooks and software.
Some states, like Texas, classify digital goods as taxable, requiring businesses to apply sales tax to their transactions.
Other states, such as Delaware, do not impose taxes on digital goods. These differences mean that businesses selling digital products must remain aware of each state’s rules to ensure compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
Subscription Renewals
Some states, like California, have specific rules around automatic subscription renewals. Businesses must clearly disclose renewal terms, obtain affirmative consent, and make it easy for consumers to cancel. Other states have less stringent or no such regulations.
This could lead to retention and MRR data being lower for states like California than others, and is important to understand this when reviewing data, and then using this to further inform marketing strategy.
This is especially pertinent in the SaaS space.
What You Should Be Asking Your SEO Vendor
Companies must ensure that any third-party marketing vendors they work with are also compliant with these privacy laws.
This includes reviewing contracts and agreements with vendors to ensure they follow proper data-handling practices, including the ability to delete, disclose, or limit the use of consumer data.
Why This Matters
Global compliance is essential for businesses to effectively manage the complexities of the international digital landscape.
Ensuring that SEO strategies align with the legal frameworks of each region is a key part of this process and building long-term, sustainable organic campaigns that drive value across multiple territories.
Looking ahead, it’s not out of the question that Google may introduce a user accessibility metric, similar to how Core Web Vitals serve as a proxy for user experience.
There is some historical basis for this, with prior emphasis on HTTPS for securing the web, along with mobile-first strategies and page speed optimizations.
While these factors are “ranking factors,” the greater emphasis on them was to enact change across the wider internet to benefit users.
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