It is difficult to navigate through government websites to look for information on various systems and laws enacted related to data mining policies. Most of the information on this topic is available through privacy-related advocacy groups.

While there is no guarantee of objectivity or any promises on finding both sides of the story, such websites do offer a good starting point.  Especially if most of the information refers you back to laws and statutes that are there on government sites.

One of the oft-quoted resources on the web is Privacy International. The group has a comprehensive listing of countries and details their privacy framework.  While the last profile reports they prepared for a number of countries came out in 2007, it still serves as a great place to start the research.

For a more current and up-to-date profile, it is best to search for region-specific groups rather than look for a global starting point. While you will find a great number of groups when looking for information on developed markets like the European Union, the research might be limited when looking for information on developing or under-reported countries.

A heavy reliance may have to be on blogs and forums where enthusiasts on this issue have a lot to say, more often than not highlighting their view on the issue.

A major hurdle while drawing up a conclusion on the data mining climate in a country is the dichotomy present in several newly implemented laws. Data retention principles may walk hand in hand with absolute guarantees of privacy. It is the presence of an oversight mechanism that could help further the understanding of the government’s attitude toward privacy.

There is also a worry about how much of the laws on paper are actually carried out in spirit. In several places, it won’t be surprising to find accusations of the government overstepping its legal right. And, perhaps, most crucially, with countries waking up to the technological potential of the new-age tools, changes to the laws in a short period might be commonplace — to accommodate concerns as well as to incorporate the latest tools to further the case for internal security.