ISO 27001 and Global Privacy Compliance : The Role of ISO 27001 in Emerging Privacy Frameworks in Europe, the USA and China

Abstract

The global privacy regulations continue to evolve in complex and reach, organisations face increasing need to meet the expectation of the industry demands while maintaining robust security postures. This study aims to explore the role of ISO/IEC 27001 in emerging privacy compliance across three major jurisdictions —Europe (GDPR), the United States (CCPA), and China (PIPL). Through an empirical analysis and a theoretical framework developed around anticipatory governance, weak signals, and the legal nuances of privacy in the respective jurisdictions alongside ISO 27001, this study is leveraged to examine the evolving role of ISO 27001 in transnational privacy regulation. The research methodology of this study adopts a qualitative approach and uses thematic analysis based on 15 semi structured interviews with privacy and cybersecurity professionals from Finland, EU and the US. In the process of analysing the data , Nvivo software was utilised coding 668 references which was categorized in to 6 key themes reflecting operational, regulatory and strategic dimensions of ISO 27001's implementation. The findings from this study reveals that ISO 27001 provides a foundational security structure through the CIA principles (confidentiality, integrity, availability) and a risk based approach to the privacy governance. It was also noted that the foundational structure should be supplemented with privacy specific controls such as ISO 27701 and regeional adaptations to meet the regulatory obligations. It was discovered to comply with privacy legislation like the GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL, legal and organizational measures beyond ISO 27001's security architecture are needed for privacy related concepts like consent, data subject rights, cross-border transfers, and accountability. Emerging trends were also noted as future considerations that call for anticipatory governance and initiatives for continuous improvement, such as data localization and dangers associated with AI. The study contributes to the growing literature on global privacy compliance and highlights the importance of integrating security and privacy frameworks. It recommends that organizations adopt a flexible and forward-looking compliance posture that can accommodate regulatory volatility and technological innovation. Scenario trajectories discussed in this study—ranging from baseline convergence, to regulatory fragmentation, to a transformative global standard—offer a foundation for further foresight-driven analysis of ISO 27001’s evolving role amid privacy and AI governance pressures.